The Better Part of Me
by Jane Opries
Summary: Not completely based off cannon characters. "You are my better part, woman. But thats not saying much as I am one hell of a bastard." He looked at her and sighed. "In other words, I love you." Sadira, Ulyesses, Araie, and Aiden. After Snake Charm.
1. Sadness and The Bully

**New story! Whoohoo! So the characters in here are from a rp that Sinedra and I did for a long time, but this is not based off the plot we used and not even she knows what is going to happen or if they couples are going to be together :3 muhahaha Take that my love!**

**Any way, I would like to inform you right away that I will not update unless I get more than 3 updates each chapter. This is because I will not continue to write in a story no one reads. This is does have cannon characters in it but they're not the main people in this fic. If that was what you were expecting from this fic, I'm sorry to inform you that you are in the wrong place.**

**Diclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in the Kiesha'ra series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.**

**Claimer: Sindera and I own Ulyesses, Aiden, Araie, Sadira, Teythis, and any other characters made up in this fic. We find them used any were else and we know one of us didn't use them, we will notify you and warn you only once to remove them from your work. Next offense, the website will be notified.**

**Enjoy this fiction and R&R please!**

**Chao!**

**A4J**

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It was so dark. Oh so dark and she wondered if she needed to fear the blackness or to face it fearlessly. The girl sat up and swung her feet over the side of the bed and her feet touched the cold floor making her shiver. What time it was she had no idea if she wanted to know. She made her way towards her balcony and opened the curtains and let the morning sun hit her. She took a deep breath and bit her lip.

Her brother was dead, her twin brother Xavier was dead and she felt like another part of her had gone with him. She had never felt so alone. But also her sister had mated a serpiente, and not just any serpiente, Zane Cobriana, the Arami of the serpiente, the avian's sworn enemy. Now they were one people, but even so the division of courts and the people were still evident. They avoided each other like a mouse avoided a cat.

Sadira was the youngest Shardae and the least recongized, as her mother was not fond of Sadira's beliefs or ideas and Danica tried to spend time with her, ever moment, but the recent events had left her little time for Sadira. Sadira was obiviously a Shardae, with the golden hair and eyes and the golden wings the protruded from her back, but unlike her mother and sister, she was quite short and her eyes were softer. She used her reserve but only when needed. That was why in her family she was such an oddity.

She gripped the railing and let the breeze flow over her skin and moved her bed ragged hair around her. She looked out to the market place and noticed that it was much busier today than it had been in previous weeks, since the decision to build another court had been put into action. Soon their would be a place for both Avains and Serpiente to live and not invade eachother's home lands.

She heard her door opening and turning slowly around she knew who was there. Slipping on her reserve she looked at the market one last time and then walked into the room again.

_Another day to be imprisioned in my own home._

* * *

"Aye! Ulyesses we can cut a deal can't we?" A young man begged while trying not to choke. The large man that was holding him up by his collar sneered at him and scoffed. The crowd around him had mixed feelings about this argument. The large man was in the right to be angry, but the young man's life was hanging by a thread.

"Yes, I break your neck in exchange for the necklace you have stolen. That sounds fair does it not?" The blue eyes ruining over the young man's fear filled face laughed. This pathetic fool stole from the wrong booth. He let the dark scales run over his body and his eyes grew brighter.

"No!" The boy struggled. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" He kicked his legs trying to escape.

"Esses!" A young girl of 18 ran out from another booth across from the jewlery shop, pushing past people in the crowd. Her red curls flowed behind her and her green eyes were filled with panic. "You bully put him down!"

Ulyesses looked down at his sister and glowered, his darker red hair falling into his eyes. "This fool stole a necklace from my shop. I think this is fair."

She frowned and grabbed his arm. "Then turn him in to the guard! You have better things to do!" She jumped up on his arm trying to use the weight to bring his arm down. "Let him go!"

Ulyesses scoffed and dropped the boy and kicked him squarely in the behind. "You better run before I get my hands on you again." The boy stricken with fear bolted and the crowd slowly began to disperse. The tiny red headed girl turned toward her older brother in fury.

"You idiot! What if the Royal Flight had caught you!" She hissed at him, watching his scales sink back under tight scarred skin.

"Kicked their asses too..." He mumbled as he walked back into the shop, closing it as no one would come in after that display. "Dirty filthy fowl. Araie next time you get in the way I will punt you back to the bread stand."

She sighed. "Mama saw and sent me." She followed her brother into the back if the shop, only to be greated with severe heat from the fire that was used to make the jewlery in the store. "She thought you were actually going to snap his neck."

He sat down and picked up a strand of silver, looking closely at it as he weaved it, using his years of experiance to make a chain. "I was."

She cried out in frustration and sat next to her brother, not even worrying about her dress getting dirty. Her brother was much bigger than she was and he dwarfed her in both size and strength. Ulyesses was a former palace guard and he had lead them before Adelina and Ailbhe rose higher than he did, even though Zane had favored him more than the siblings. Mamba's like him were rare, large, fast, and twice as deadly. Tradegy had struck him and their family and the loss made him less than qualified to lead. He was 6' 7", broad and muscular with dark auburn hair and bright blue eyes. She was only five foot with bright red hair and green eyes. Unlike him she was completely freckled and pale, as he was tan and had no spots on him unless they were scars. He was also 9 years her senior and he babied her constantly, always taking on that fatherly role when she was around men.

"You need to work on your social skills." Araie handed him a tool and he took it from her.

"You need to mind your own business brat." He looked up at her and raised a brow. "Flour really?"

She looked down at herself and sighed. Her mother made her get up before dawn and make the daily bread and now she was covered in flour. She looked up at him defiantly. "Your covered in black soot and sweat, so I consider myself in better condition you are in."

He shook his head. "If you say so."

"I did." She stood up. "Esses...Mama told me you were thinking of moving back to the serpiente court to find a mate...is that true?" She asked quietly.

"I can't stay here and do it." He set down his work and looked up at his sister. Even sitting down he didn't have to look up much.

"No but...you can't leave me with mama, she's crazy." She said quietly. "Plus there's women her-"

"If your suggesting that I consider an avian woman or that crazy Gardner snake a few stalls down, you better shut your mouth." He scowled. "That's unsanitary."

"They are just like us, only they turn into some time different." Her face mirrored his. "Plus, you can get along with them better. Your both socially unequipped." She walked out quickly.

He stared after her scowling and huffed. "That was rude."

* * *

Aiden Sorrell was in less than a pleasant mood. He was even what the serpiente called 'pissed' or something like that. A mamba on the east side of court had dealt with a thief in a way he seemed fit. Picking him up by the collar and harrassing him. Now he had to go deal with the brute who he knew more than well. He had told the same man that he was to turn theifs in instead of taking matters in to his own hands or he would once again, be put into a holding cell for more than 10 days.

Aiden hated this snake, not because he was a snake, no that was not the case at all. It was because this man was twice his size and was more than rude to Royal Flight members. The way he understood it, the snake hated all things that could fly and was only here for his sister and mother. He had even had gone so far as to threaten Aiden with severe pain next time they came to his shop. He was a pain and it only made his morning worse. The sandy blonde raven dispised him because of his terse rudeness and lack of respect for officers when he at one time had been one himself!

He had wakened his friend Sadira, only to find her in disray and then recieved order's from Rei that he was to patrol the market today instead of being on duty in the Keep were he could keep a close eye on Sadira. No he was stuck baby sitting snakes that refused to obey the laws of the Keep. The most important one being keeping ones hands to themselves.

He sighed as he approached the stall, only to see it was closed up and look like owner wasn't there. He glared secretly at the door. That bastard had to open sometime. Just as he was about to give up he noticed and small, but beautiful girl exit from the shop, looking perplexed about something. He quickly approached her, not wasting time.

"Excuse me miss, but is the owner here today?" He asked polietly.

The girl jumped and her large green eyes looked at him like he had slapped her. She calmed down and ran a hand over her red curls, bringing them over her shoulder. "Yes, sir, but the shop is closed today, as you can see." Her bell like voice seemed to make his mood less agitated, even though her answer was not the desired one.

"Yes, I do see, but under orders I must speak to him briefly." He again spoke polietly but he could tell she was also annoyed and was losing her own patience.

"Yes, but a word of advice, if you're going to arrest him, you better do it later. His mood will be less foul then." She rolled her eyes and pouted.

He was shocked to find that she already knew that the owner had a strike against him. "I see. You must be related to him."

"His name is Ulyesses Opries, and yes. I am his sister, Araie." She smiled gently and let out a breathy exhail.

No wonder that bastard, named Ulyesses, stayed. This girl was beautiful, and even though she was a serpent, she was not overwelming and she was rather pleasant. Ulyesses needed to keep a good eye on her. "I see, well thank you." He bowed his head to her and turned.

"Wait!" She called, "You didn't tell me your name."

He turned and smiled gently to her. "Aiden Sorrell."

"Aiden..." She said and then waved. "Good bye Aiden, I'll see you this evening when you arrest my brother."

He chuckled. This girl with one gesture made his whole day better. "Yes, I will see you this evening. Good day." He walked away with a smile plastered all over his face.

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**Woot! Its 1:09 am and I have work at 10! Yay! But I love you guys so I did this any way! :) How about that Sinedra! Love you poo bear :x**

**Let me know what you think by pressing the green button that says REVIEW...please...**


	2. Challenge Accepted

**Oh darling bubble gum dumpling drops! Another chapter just for you :3 **

**Note for all Sinedra and I are good friends and we talk a lot and we have a lot of inside jokes, so if your confused, don't worry, its just us.**

**Disclaimer: Look at chap. 1.**

**To DarlingBubbleGumDumplingDrop: We should write this together, as one. Together...while we play nurse and patient. Hehehe...Just remember on saturday we're doing cowboys and russians with beaver caps in the mountains.**

**To : We need the guns for cowboys and russians still, don't forget the lasso! Hmm, I wouldn't mind writing it together but it feels so weird, like I'm assulting your story... kinda awkward...**

**SinedraPookeyBear: No! Not assulting...molesting is a better word. Lasso is in Fabio's room.**

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Zane looked at Danica, like a bored child. Aiden, Ailbhe, Sadira, and Rei sat at the table looking at the woman like she had sprouted another eye. They knew she was pregnant and they knew that she was worried, really worried, especially after the attack, but a whole new guard just for the baby? Zane was used to hearing the idea and didn't even bother arguing with his hormonal mate. Hell at this moment if she wanted a whole another branch of guards, then she could have them.

"Danica." Sadira said slowly. "We have lots of guards, the child can have up to 4 personal Royal Flight and palace guard members or more if needed. But a whole alliance of guards...I'm sure none of us or Zane's family had a whole fleet to themselves and that was during the war."

Danica nodded and sighed. "Yes and I know all of you have opinions about it but so do our people and some of them are against this child, the _only _child I will ever have," At this Zane flinched and looked away. Sadira and Aiden noticed it, but said nothing. "And I don't want to take those risks."

"Well when you put it like that, then I understand extra protection, but not a whole other guard that we are not sure we can fund." Sadira tried again. She really did understand her sister's intention and was behind the idea, but funding the guard would be harder.

"Yes, well...I took the liberty of sell some of my possesions..." Danica sighed. "But not any heir looms, just valuable personal items." She looked down. "Like all my silk gowns."

Zane looked at her surprised and Sadira, who didn't see a need to use her reserve, gawked at her sister. "Danica..."

Rei smiled gently. "Any thing for your child."

The Tuuli Thea nodded and smiled fondly. Zane's eyes softened and he took Danica's hand. "Yes, anything. They were just items, replaceable ones at that. But Zane and I have enough funds to hire these select few till the baby is born and then we have also selected those who we feel comfortable with being around the baby when it is born." Danica handed over the piece of paper to Rei, Ailbhe, and Aiden, who had recently had become 2nd in command of the Royal Flight.

As Aiden's eyes skimmed over the paper, he felt his heart jump into his throat. That idiot was on it...that bastard who liked to make his life miserable all the time by violently attacking thieves and any one else he wanted to damage. He knew that man was the Diente's friend from his childhood, but this made Aiden sick.

Ulyesses Opries was to lead the guard that protected the heir to both courts.

* * *

"Ulyesses!" Araie ran into her brother's room, jumping on him when she saw he was still laying in bed. "You lazy idiot wake up!" She straddled his back and then ruffled his hair ruffly. She was excited to hear that the guards had decided not to arrest her brother and let him go with one last warning.

Ulyesses reached behind him and grabbed her arm and jerked her off him, causing her to fall on the floor on her back. She hopped back up and continued to pester him till he sat up and hissed at her, showing her his fangs. She tilted her head back and laughed at him. She mocked him by hissing back and giggled. He rolled his eyes and stood up. "What the hell is your problem you stupid brat?"

"My problem? Its way past dawn, bread has been made, breakfast has been served, and you have been asleep so long that you'll have to go with out food this morning." She jumped on the bed and laughed when she came face to face with Ulyesses. "That and I think I might pursue a man." She said saucily. "And he is real handsome."

"Oh? And did I say you could? No. So what does that mean? Means you'll die a bitter virgin." He went over to the basin and poured water into it from a ceramic pitcher and proseeded to wash his face.

She stayed on the bed and frowned. "I will not die a bitter virgin. In fact my goal in life is to have a mate and fornicate with him more than twice a day-" She jumped off the bed, red curls bouncing.

"Ah and this is were you stop and I make you wear metal undergarments for the rest of your life." He wiped his face off. "Like I said, bitter virgin."

She rose her eyebrows. "I'd just go behind your back and do it."

He glared at her and inhaled sharply. "Till I catch you and kill him."

"Then I'd kill you." She crossed her arms over her chest.

He pulled off his shirt and looked out his window. "Hot today?"

She shrugged. "Look at what I'm wearing." She pointed to herself. She wore a skin toned dancer's costume, which luckily it was not a skimpy shirt but pants and bra. Seeing his sister showing so much skin, Ulyesses frowned.

"And mama let you out of the house looking like that?" He decided not to wear a shirt today. Why bother?

She scowled. "Ulyesses, I am 18, no longer a child and since mama thinks you are failing to provide a grandchild, she is leaving it to me. So when I said I was pursuing a man, she gave this outfit to me, using the heat for the excuse." She sat delicately on the bed and leaned back.

"What is this young ass like?" Ulyesses leaned against the wall, looking at his sister with a gaze he hoped would intimidate her.

She stuck her nose in the air. "Tall, muscular, great dancer...palace guard." She looked up at the ceiling.

"And what is that it?" He raised a brow. "I have to know so I can guess who's ass I need to kick next."

She scoffed. "Well now...20 questions it is."

He inhaled and thought for a minute. "Was he in before or after I left?"

"After." She kicked her legs up.

"Is he a consictor?"

"No." She shook her head.

"Is he a she?" He teased.

She gaped at him and threw a pillow in his direction. "No!"

He caught the pillow and dropped it to the side. "Ok, is he high in the ranks?"

"Yes, finally. Your bad at this game." She said monotone.

He thought through the ranks and came down to about 6 men. "Is he a mamba?"

"Nope, guess again."

"A viper." He squinted. It had better not be who he think it was.

"Yup."

"Does he happen to be the leader of the palace guard, Araie?" He bit the inside of his cheeks. The little traitor...

She blushed but kept her smile. "Yes."

"And does he happen to have white hair and bright blue eyes?" He approached her slowly.

She sank back a little. "Yes..."

"And is he talented with a staff?" He bent down to her level and eyed her.

She sighed. "Yes."

"And is this the man who took over after I left?" He was trying to scare her, and so far it was working.

"Yes..." Now she was being meek about it.

"I see. So Ailbhe is this man that you want to pursue and does he want to pursue you?" He stood up and paced.

"He wanted to meet me at the Keep tonight." She stood up. "Now if you don't mind, mama has a visitor that you are late meeting and he is on a tight schedule." She sauntered out the door and out into the bright sun.

She had expected him to throw a fit about Ailbhe but he actually just looked a bit miffed instead of completely hot headed. She smiled softly and walked into the stand where a short dark haired woman with the same blue eyes as her brother stood with a tall man. Araie hugged the man's arm and looked at the woman. "Mama, you have a lazy son."

Mara rolled her eyes and looked up into garnet eyes. "Prepare your self Zane, he has been nothing but a pain since he has come here."

Zane laughed and looked down at the red head on his arm. "I suspected nothing less of that man. Don't you say small sister?"

She smiled and shrugged. "This time, you should keep him all to yourself."

* * *

Aiden and Sadira walked silently around the market, no destination in mind. She was still in her state of mind were she was sure that a war was still going on and it was not yet over. She felt like every serpent she passed would put a knife in her back as soon as it was too them. She kept as close to Aiden by avian standards as she could.

"I hear your thinking about taking a mate soon?" She looked up at him, breaking the silence.

"Well Sadira...I'm 20 and I don't have to worry about losing someone close to me because of the war...I think it's time."

The hawk princess sighed, "Who am I to argue, I've had a family and you've been an orphan... Happiness has been long overdue for you Aiden." The idea that he could move on while she was in her perpetual worry and paranoia seemed unfair. Then again, she was simply being selfish. Just because the war had taken nothing from him was no reason to glower at her old friend.

His hazel eyes grew more green as they peered down at her, "And for you as well. You shouldn't have to deal with the loss of half of your family alone. Even for an avian, that kind of pain is almost unbearable-"

"It has to be bearable," she said with an emotionless finality, "I'm not just an avian, I am a Shardae. If I cannot handle the hardship of the war on my own then there will be doubts among our own people. I must stay strong for them to help my sister."

He stopped her near a shop and sighed. He pulled a flower out of a vase and put it behind her ear. "But your still just one person and even you need to let it all out some times." He said softly. "Especially since we aren't in that damn war any more, just breath."

She shook her head and touched the flower. "Aiden...I wish I could believe that, but...I can't...I'm sorry." She hurried off and took breath.

She moved toward a bakery on the other side of the market, ignoring others and not looking up until she heard some one talking. "Yes, Zane, I understand what you just said, do not talk down to me like an idiot." _Clang, clang, clang_. "I am making this dagger for a client, a flight member I believe." A shop that had a heavy curtain over the door was hiding who ever was talking, and who was ever talking was to her sister's alistair.

"I asked if you could do me this one last favor, as a friend, not a retired palace guard." _Clang, clang, clang. _Sadira peeked into the shop, two backs were facing her. One was confirmed as Zane, the other was a tall man with broad shoulders, auburn hair, and sweat and dirt all over him. He was using a metal hammer to beat on a red hot piece of metal into what looked like a blade. He was frowning and shook his head.

"I refuse to work in a guard again." He picked up the blade with metal tongs and put it back into the fire, watching the flames. "I'm only a black smith and a jewelry maker, now."

Zane nodded and sighed. "Well it's temporary. Till the baby is born and then we'll apoint some one else, just do this for me. I am coming to you as your friend not your Diente and as your friend I am asking you to lead the guard that will protect my only child. The only one I will ever have." Zane looked down in dispair. This had caught the other man's attention and he pulled the blade out and stuck it in water and walked over to Zane.

"Zane, I lost everything in that war except my sister and my mother, and it was all because I was a palace guard." He shook his head. "You have to find some one else." He turned his back on him and then turned his head. "And grab that creep at the door while your at it." He wiped his hands. Zane turned his head toward the door and sighed.

"That is Sadira, the avian princess. Your superior." Zane was teasing but at the word superior, the man turned and glared at Sadira who had walked into the shop.

"Oh yeah? Your mate's sister?" He looked her up and down shamelessly. Heat rushed into her cheeks and the man scoffed. "She isn't half as pretty as Danica."

"Nor is she half as lenient when talking with a buffoon pretending to be a snake," her reserve might not have been used often, but now she plastered it so tightly on her face that only the slight edge of her voice gave away her anger. Not half as pretty? Well, even those sapphire eyes would be useless in charming serpiente women! Besides, he had insulted her sister by refusing to guard their child. A task many would give their lives to have.

Turning to Zane, she gave him an apologetic nod, "I was simply passing by when I heard your voice. I planned on greeting you when I heard you discussing your child's protection." Now she knew who this "Ulyesses" was. "Only fools refuse to give their lives for their friends," turning to glare at the serpent, "And I wouldn't feel safe having a man around who studies a mated woman. It has scandle written all over it."

Now Ulyesses smiled and glanced over at Zane. "Ohhh, but she is more interesting." He was mocking her. To him, he had nothign to lose so threatened with death or disgraced didn't bother him.

Zane sighed and nodded to Sadira. "I apologize. This is Ulyesses Opries, he is the former leader of the palace guard." He looked at Ulyesses with a slight glare. "He is a gentlemen, believe it or not, but he has some...'social' issues."

"Social?" Ulyesses scoffed. He looked at Sadira and raised his brows. "And _princess_, you don't understand my reasons for denying the honor, so you are not allowed to judge me." He glared at her.

"You watch yourself, serpent. I am the avian princess and you are out of line." She was fighting to keep her control. What was surprising to her was the way Zane handled Ulyesses. Like he understood Ulyesses's actions. "He is not a noble gentlemen. Not to mention he was looking at your mate."

Zane scratched his head. "Ah Ulyesses, can you not try to piss off every avian that comes in here please? Sadira, I am sorry, but he is also my older brother's childhood friend. He does have certain reason's to deny the oppurtunty to lead my child's guard, but you are right." He looked at Ulyesses. "You're out of line and I think you need to apologize to Sadira."

Ulyesses sneered. He only listened to Zane and that was only on occasions. He looked at Sadira indifferently. "I am only going to give you an apology because you are a woman, but I hate doing so since you are a filthy avian."

Sadira was shocked. This man refused to treat her like a supirior or as a princess. In fact, he had just stated his hate for her just because of her race. It made her so...so...now that she thought about it, it almost felt nice to be treated like any one else. He treated Zane in the same way, in a rude disregarding manor. But he was still rude.

Zane shook his head and looked at Ulyesses. "Think about it. I can trust only you...I need you, like you need me." He turned toward Sadira. "Milady, let me escort you back to the Keep."

Sadira glowered at Ulyesses. "This will not be the last time you see me. I might have you arrested."

Ulyesses burst out laughing, making her even more frustrated. "Please, I invite you too. Make that idiot Sorrell do it too. I want to kill the bastard." He turned away, broad back to her.

"Oh, I will." She said menacingly as she walked out of shop, feeling like she had just met her match.

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**Oh pumpkin pie, we did it! Alright, so R&R and we'll update! TTYL.**


	3. Damn it All

**Whoowoo! Again we are kicking ass! **

**Remember to R&R because if you don't we won't update, will we sugar poo?**

**Chao!**

**A4J and Sinedra 3**

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"I don't care if he was your cousin Zane, he harrassed my sister and disrespected her and myself." Danica sat in the chair, rubbing her swollen belly. "Why didn't you take action?" She brushed her golden locks over her shoulder. As soon as Sadira was home, she wasted no time in telling Aiden and Danica how this 'idiotic, rude, and disrespectful' serpent had talked down to her and made her feel uncomfortable. At that Aiden had left to look for him and so far, he wasn't any were.

"Danica, Ulyesses is my family in a sort. I know what he is truely like, I know what goes on in that meat head of his. I knew he was just doing it to get the reaction he disired. And when she got angry, he got it. If I would have gotten any angier at him, he would have made it worse." He sat in the chair next to her.

Being hormonal and angry, a terrible combination, she turned away from her mate, "If you knew it was going to happen then why didn't you attempt to stop it? You could have left since he clearly stated he didn't want you there." She sighed. She still didn't understand serpents some times and it aggravated her that Zane had let this go. It was highly inappropriate what that Opries man said to Sadira.

"Yes your right. I apologize; in the morning I will apologize to Sadira and go talk to Ulyesses about the issue."

She smiled at her mate and took his hand. "This man must have meant a lot to you."

Zane then sighed and sat back in the chair. "He was my older sister's mate, before she died."

* * *

Aiden had had his eyes on the house for a couple hours, waiting for Ulyesses to make a mistake and walk out and be arrested. So far the snake was working in the kitchen with a smaller woman who was not Araie, but looked a lot like her. Aiden presumed it was their mother for the way she would chastise the man. Speaking of Araie, he hadn't seen the red head since she said she see him when he arrested her brother. Of course he didn't arrest him, but now he was charged with harassment to the Tuuli Thea, the Diente, and princess Sadira. He sneered, how dare the man say such rude, disrespectful things to his monarch! The thought alone made him mad.

"You didn't come yesterday and now I find you stalking my brother so you can arrest him." A female voice spoke into his ear and it took all of Aiden not to jump and turn. Out of the corner of his eye he saw brilliant red hair and the fair skin that his eyes seemed to drink in. Aiden blushed at this reaction. She was a serpiente!

"We let him go on first offense, but he didn't just harass a customer again, it was princess Sadira." He looked over at Araie and almost blushed with embarrassment. What the girl was wearing made his blood rush to places that it didn't need to be.

"I see. So you could of just knocked on the door. Mama would have let you in in a heart beat." She held her hands behind her back. She looked at him and was surprised to see him angry. Usually avians kept their emotions hidden. "You must really hate Ulyesses."

His attention turned back to her but he kept his eyes on her face, even then she was quite beautiful. Not wanting to offend her he shook his head. "No, not hate, just-"

"Hate. Its ok, only a select few like him and most of them are his relatives."

How sad, Aiden thought. If he wasn't such a bastard maybe he would have more friends. "You didn't tell me he was the Diente's close friend." He said in more of a whisper.

"Well you didn't ask. Zane's brother more say than friend." She looked at him. "Well I have to go. I have to meet some one." She turned and smiled at him.

"Oh? Meeting a friend?" He asked with curiosity. It was dark, who would she be meeting so late?

"Hopefully my future mate." She sighed like she was in a dream. "Well, see you later." She giggled and walked away toward the Keep. Aiden stood there shocked. Well not shocked, but...hurt.

* * *

"Are you serious, Esses?" His mother was furious. Why her son would give up such an honor to lead a guard of the future Diente/ Tuuli Thea was beyond her. They were friends for the gods sake! Why wouldn't he take a chance to do what he did best?

"I can't do it. What if I fail again?" He looked at his mother who was cutting vegetables. She stopped and sighed.

"Oh my baby..." She sighed. "That was not your fault."

He clenched his jaw and looked away. "How was it not my fault?" He closed his eyes. The memory always made him sick to his stomach. That damned avian...

"How could you have known? She left with out letting any one know." She put her hand over his. "Don't let that mistake take you down."

Ulyesses went to say something but a knock at the door made him sigh and turn toward the door. Composing himself he opened the door only to find an angry Shardae. "Oh, so my hints of my hatred for you kind didn't stop you huh?" He looked over the avian princess quietly. She was angry and she looked like she was going to hit him.

"I have a guard here that will arrest you if you don't keep your eyes above my neck."

"Esses? Who is our guest? Let them in!" His mother called from the kitchen. He looked at the girl and then the guard who was standing farther back.

"You made it in time for dinner." He stepped back and let the hawk walk by him, she was followed by Sorrell who gave him a warning glare. "Not in front of my mother." Ulyesses said quietly. "She has nothing to do with this." He closed the door behind Sorrell and lead him into the house.

Mara turned to see who it was and gasped. "Oh my! I am a mess!" She bowed her head to Sadira and then bustled around. "What a wonderful surprise!" She put a kettle on the stove and wiped her hands. "Sit, sit, please." She pulled out a chair for Sadira to sit in. Sadira was surprised. She was expecting a hateful greeting and cold glares. Instead she was greeted like she was a god in a village hut. "Tea?" Mara asked Sadira and Aiden when she saw him walk into the kitchen.

"Uh...yes please..." Sadira tried to keep her mask on. Ulyesses watched with amusement. It was obvious that this was not what the avians were expecting.

"What brings you here, milady?" Mara pulled two cups from the shelves and two plates, putting a sweet tea biscuit on them. Aiden gave a weary glance at Ulyesses but Sadira was the one who spoke.

"We came to talk to your son on behave of my sister and her alistair." She felt bad that she lied but then again, she would feel worse if she said to arrest him while being treated so graciously.

"Oh? We were just talking about that."

"Mama, they're here to arrest me." Ulyesses chuckled. Aiden flushed. He said not infront of his mother yet he did! Ulyesses looked at Aiden and raised his brows.

"Oh Ulyesses..." Mara sighed. " What did you do now?" She gave an exhuasted look and then looked at Aiden and Sadira. "I apologize for what ever this bone head has done." She set down two bowls, on containing a pink like sugar and the other a purple sugar.

Ulyesses reached over a took a pinch of the pink sugar. Seeing Sadira's confused face he said: "Hibiscus sugar." Mara set down the tea and sweet tea biscuits and looked at Ulyesses with crossed arms. "I only expressed my true feelings about the avian race." He shrugged and licked his lips. If he wasn't such an ass he would be an extremely gorgeous man. Being so tall and broad and built he was a novelty from the slender avian men. His eyes were a brilliant blue and they seemed to freeze her when he looked her in the eyes and his jaw looked like a sculptor had made it. She blushed. What was she thinking! This arrogant ass attractive? No! What was she thinking?

"Ulyesses I raised you better." Mara shook her head. "Well eat and drink then you might as well take him." She sighed and shook her head at Ulyesses before walking into a different room.

Ulyesses laughed and hit the counter looking at Sadira. "Oh I must have really pissed you off yesterday didn't I bird?" He continued to laugh.

"You will watch your mouth serpent and show some respect to your superior." Aiden growled and stood by Sadira.

Sadira frowned and shook her head. "No, that's not why I came here. I want to know what makes you so special that you can speak to me so." She spoke quietly so it was between them. Aiden sighed and stepped back.

"What makes you think that your so high and mighty? Just because it's your birth right?" He scoffed. "Plus the last time I checked Danica Shardae and Zane Cobriana were my superiors."

Aiden shook his head. "Your pathetic."

Sadira shook her head. "No, we all are."

Ulyesses was surprised by what she said. "How so?"

"I don't have the right to treat you like a filthy peasant and have you arrested for saying things that I don't agree with. But you were rude as well and I feel like I am owed an apology. In return I will apologize." She stood up slowly. " I don't want to take you away from your family."

He raised his eyebrow. "Apologize? You want me to apologize to you?" She looked like she had been stricken and she stepped back a bit. "Well yes. Then I will apologize." He smirked. "Will you now?"

Sadira's own brows twitched with annoyance but she simply stared at the man. Then, she blinked a couple times before innocently glancing at her friend, "Aiden did you hear something? For a moment I could have sworn I heard "I'm sorry"."

Mimicking his charge's confused appearance, he shook his head. "Must have been the wind Shardae." To add to their performance, he strained to listen before over exaggurating a sigh and giving up.

"Oh well," Sadira sat down in one of the chairs Mara had offered and took a delicate sip from her tea. With a content sigh, the corners of her lips lifted into more of a smile than she had ever made near any serpents. "The tea is very good Aiden, you should try some before it gets cold," she said without casting a glance at Ulyesses at all. Until she heard his apology, she would simply act as though he didn't exist. Picking up the biscuit, she took a hesitant bite before eating half of it in the most ladylike fashion as she had been raised. The princess was more than grateful they hadn't placed meat upon the table.

Ulyesses shook his head. This was ridiculous. He'd be damned if he'd apologized to an avian princess. The opened quietly and Araie slipped in, wearing a happy grin on her face. She sighed happily and then walked silently into the kitchen humming, hugging Ulyesses as he passed and waved to Sadira and Aiden. Ulyesses raised an eyebrow. "Your head is in the clouds. It went well I assume?" His attention on his sister now.

She giggled and shook a couple melos on her hips, one being a deep purple, the other white. "Very well, Esses, you should let me keep him." Aiden turned his gaze away from the dancing giddy girl. He felt almost jealous of the man she was with. She was a bubbly girl with a pleasant demeanor and when he had encountered her he found himself smiling and walking a way in a trance, like the one she was in right now.

"Keep? Are you thinking of mating him? Seriously girl your 18, you don't need to mate." Ulyesses was actually just nervous about his sister being away from her family.

"Ulyesses! Most girls I know my age have been married for 2 years! I'm late in the field and plus both courts mate young, its not looked down upon." She sighed. Sadira bit her lip. The red headed girl was right, most girls their age were already mated...she had yet to have her first kiss.

Ulyesses put his hand fondly on Araie's head. "I guess your right." He ruffled her hair. "But what all did you two do?" Araie blushed and then giggled as she took her brother's hand off her head.

"We went out to the hill and talked, then we danced, then we...well we kissed."

"You what?" Ulyesses choked as Aiden almost spat out his tea. Sadira gave her friend a worried smile and Araie laughed at Ulyesses response.

"Yes we did and oh..." She stared off almost dreamy. "He was oh so sweet."

"Ailhbe sweet?" Ulyesses chuckled nervously.

Aiden almost spit again and began to cough. Araie looked at Aiden worried. She walked over to him and rubbed his back. He tensed. Avians weren't used to touching so casually and her touch seemed to have a double affect on him. "Breath Sorrell, if you choke and die, I'll cry." She laughed softly. Sadira watched Aiden's facial expression almost give away what he was completely feeling about the whole situation. "Ulyesses, get him water please." Araie asked her brother, continuing to rub Aiden's back.

"Araie the bastard is fine." Ulyesses sighed.

"Get him some damn water ya jerk!" She glared at him. He glared back at her and grunted. Sadira burst out into laughter. He was just some jerk who had no guts! He was useless against his sister and mother. They had power over this big 'evil' man.

Sadira stood up and stalked over to Ulyesses standing only an inch from him. Her body heat radiated off of her and on to the front of his body, warming him. He crossed his arms and stared down at her with hard eyes. She reached up and trailed a finger along his jaw, making his glare harder and the muscles under her finger pad twitched, but he refused to move. Araie and Aiden watched intently and with fascination. What on earth had compelled the avian princess to act like she was? "Apologize Esses." She said in the most seductive voice she could manage. For some reason her senses were telling her to do some thing outrageous, something that went against everything she had learned, was taught, everything she felt. And this was against all of those.

He was trying to keep his anger in check. But it wasn't anger...no not anger...it was pure lust. Looking at her now he felt like eating his earlier words when he had compared her to Danica. She was much more beautiful than her older sister. In a way that Ulyesses couldn't describe. Maybe it was because he could see the fire in her eyes burning or the way she had said his pet name, but what ever it was, it had him. The sad thing was, he realized, is that she was avian and 9 years younger than he was, making her highly unavailable and absolutely out of the question. But her touch was going to be the end of him. He reached up and quickly grabbed her hand before she could make it to his chest and all hope of holding back was lost. "I'm sorry." He pushed her hand back to her body and let go quickly. He was losing his resolve. "Excuse me."

He walked past her and walked out of the back door in to his shop. Aiden stared at the princess in awe. She turned and looked at him with a surprised look on her face. "Aiden, you should try dealing with death some time, its exotic." She almost laughed and ran a hand through her golden hair. "Thank your mother for me." She quickly walked out of the house, feeling more alive than she had her entire life.

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**Woot! Another update!**


	4. Just Another Avian

**Hello, another chap for you. This is being co-written so if your wondering, there are two style's being used. The other author is Sinedra, so check her out, she's pretty hot. **

**To BunnyCuddleBuns: let's kick some ass.**

**To SugarBearPumpkinLove: Hecksie yeah!**

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Ulyesses sighed and groaned. "Are you kidding? You gave the position away?" He looked at Rei, Zane, Galine, and Ailbhe.

Ailbhe was a little apprehensive around Ulyesses. After his night with Araie, he had expected a little anger from Ulyesses; after all he understood she was his little sister and even after Ailbhe lost his own sister, he understood the protectiveness over his sister. That was why when Ulyesses flung open the door to the hall that the 4 men were conversing in, he thought he was staring at his death. Lucky for him Ulyesses only came to claim the offer for the lead of the future heir's guard; the offer had been passed to Aiden and he had taken it with pride, now Ulyesses stood there arms crossed over his chest.

"Now what the hell am I going to do?"

Zane sighed. "I told you you would get bored out in the real market, should of stayed in the palace guard." He stood up. "But there is one position you can take up." Rei looked at Zane and nodded. "The former Tuuli Thea wants a guard for her younger daughter as well, since she is always out in the market. More like a personal body guard."

Ulyesses sneered. That witch. Why would he want that nasty snot's life in his hands. He could still feel her heated touches on his face and he almost shivered. That moment was so intense that he almost threw her on the table and attacked her. He hadn't had a woman in a long time and the way she had touched him and said his name he almost lost and did so. But, he thought, if I had her life in my hands, she would be at my mercy. This thought made him smirk mentally. The little wench would be under his thumb.

* * *

Sadira was standing in the Flight's training yard, dagger in each hand. Normally she was very skilled in their use, swift and lithe as well, but today she just was using them like a fledgling would.

"Come on princess!" Erica cried as she landed yet another blow, "Slacking isn't quite like you."

With a huge sigh, she sat down. "I know, I just don't think I'm up for it today."

The girl knelt beside her, "You feeling alright?" Her voice held enough concern proper for avians.

"Yeah, just not into it." Truth was she was feeling almost sick. Why in the skies had done what she did the night before? What had been going through her hawk brain? Nothing! She had flirted... no, tempted a serpent! He could have taken advantage of her! ...If he hadn't left she might have kissed him. The adrenaline had make the whole experience exciting, but once it wore off the reality had set in. She would never in her life willingly talk to him again; if she could, she would avoid seeing him altogether. After all, she knew where his shop was in the market now, shouldn't be too hard.

"Alright, come back when you're a little more of a challenge," Erica teased endearingly.

Sadira shot her a smirk, "Very brave indeed, but it won't save you later." Standing, she slid her practice daggers back into their racks and shifted. Not having seen her sister yet today, she flew toward the upper floors, hoping to find her. Maybe she could talk to Aiden as well, it was a relief to know that someone she could trust was guarding her sister. The thought of the idiotic brute being near Danica made her skin crawl. _But last night you had no problem touching him last night. In fact you liked touching him- No!_

She faltered in her flight and landed in a clumsily onto the balcony, her heart racing. Sadira paced in front of the covered door, trying to collect her thoughts as rationally as she could. She savored the feeling of her fingers on him and she had liked that he treated her like an individual and not like a noble. Her best friend treated her like fragile glass! It drove her insane when people treated her like a snobbish royal, and truth was that what was she was. A insufferable royal. But, to Ulyesses, she was an equal that annoyingly yapped in his ear; just another girl. She had never felt so relieved when he didn't fumble over himself when he saw her, and how he refused to call her princess, the way he looked down at her. She secretly enjoyed his rude treatment. The Shardae rubbed her forehead and tried to keep calm. All the fuss about her sister's baby and her mother's constant nagging was causing her to have these strange conflicting feelings for an rude buffoon. That's it...

"Sadira?" She turned around quickly and saw her sister standing there with a worried look on her face.

She sighed and looked at the ground. "Sorry Dani...just was lost in a thought."

Her sister raised an elegant eyebrow. "Looked like a troublesome one."

Sadira walked slowly too the railing and put a hand on it. "It was, but I am alright." She stood next to Danica. "Where is Aiden?"

"He had a meeting to go to. I must warn you, mother has gotten you a personal body guard." She looked at her sister with a dry look. "She said to protect her youngest child." Sadira shook her head and let her mask fall to hide the new emotions and the anger.

"What does she take me for? A chick?" She sighed. "I swear that woman..."

Danica chuckled. "She loves you, though she'll never admit it. She went as far as hiring the best soldier from the palace guard, since an avian one wasn't available. I hear he's real handsome and very, very strong." Sadira frowned. A serpent? Her mother hired a serpent? It was unlike the former Tuuli Thea to even socialize with one, let alone hire her daughter a serpent body guard. She didn't know a palace guard member with such a reputation.

"Do you know his name by chance?"

Sadira watched her sister rub her swollen belly and shift uncomfortably, "Believe it is Opries... or something to that affect." Danica inhaled. Sadira froze. It had just felt like a thousand pounds had been dropped on her shoulders and the time had stopped. Ulyesses was to be her body guard? Was her mother insane? She didn't understand how this could happen to her. Ulyesses was to protect her life. She was going to die.

* * *

Araie walked lightly through the market, her heart singing and her skin tingling. Ailbhe chuckled next to her and took her hand. "Its only early after noon and your already squirming around like a new hatchling." He kissed the back of her hand.

She blushed and covered her face, "Hard to be upset when I'm around you." She clutched his hand tighter. He smiled and drop their hands to their sides. She continued to walk and smile. "By the way, do you know an Aiden Sorrell?" Araie glanced up at him.

Ailbhe raised his fine colored brows. "I do, infact, know him personally. He is quite the gentlemen."

"He hates my brother," she stated lightly.

"Araie, love who doesn't hate your brother?" He eyed her pink lush lips. She caught his gaze and shook her head teasingly.

"Not tonight."

"You'll be the end of me." He pulled her to the dancer's nest his own blood singing with excitement. Ulyesses was being tested for his duty and he had nothing to worry about. It was just him and his Araie.

"How are you doing though? With your sister and all." She asked quietly.

She could feel him tense but he was honest with her. "I feel more betrayed then sad," he glared at the path way, "We took an oath, one we swore our lives on...I was 100% behind anything the Diente said...seems like some type of farce." He was bitter, if not enraged. She was his sister yes, but it was a betrayal that tore him to the core. Araie stopped and pulled him in between two stalls.

She pulled his body taunt to hers, "I'm here Ailbhe..."

He rested his forehead to hers. "I thank Maeve for that," he ran his hands down her sides.

"You two. There in the cove, what are you doing?" The pair looked to see who it was and faced a tired looking Aiden. Araie smiled but it faded when he didn't return it. She looked down as if ashamed and played wit her hands hesitantly.

She coward towards Ailbhe and kept her eyes down. "Sorrell, you gave me a fright." Ailbhe raised a brow when he noticed he's college's dark gaze.

Aiden cleared his throat. "As a guard, I suspect you know the laws here at the Keep?" he tried to avoid looking at Araie. She was wearing dancer's clothes again, but this time, it was much more revealing, he could feel the man in him swell with excitement. The avian in him was scandalized. "And dress code." Araie felt more shame and bit her lip. The stare he was giving her was not kind. He was in a foul mood.

"We were on our way to the small dancer's guild they built on the edge of the market," Ailbhe became more serious. Sorrell must of heard about Ulyesses.

"At least cover the girl so she looks decent," he wanted to avoid using the words 'common whore', but the looks on their faces told him the he might as well have said it. Ailbhe looked almost angry.

"Its tradional dance wear, women in the serpiente court wear more racey things. We won't be out long," Ailbhe took Araie's hand and his thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry," Araie whispered and kept her eyes on the ground. Aiden felt his chest weigh down. She looked real upset over what he said. Maybe he offend her and culture and now she was embrassed. He sighed.

"I apologize, I'll let you two be." He bowed his head slightly and turned away from the couple.

"I'm going home," Araie whispered and let go of Ailbhe's hand. She kept her head down and walked out of the little spot.

"Araie! Wait, what's wrong?" Ailbhe tried to catch up to her but she set off in to a run. Araie had never felt so embrassed or discriminated for just being who she was; she just wanted to dance, but when she had seen the disgust on Aiden's face, she had fallen apart. What a fool she was to think that she could finally find acceptance here. in the serpiente court she was too reserved and unattractive, here she was to outspoken. She ran to her home, bolting through the door past Mara and Ulyesses, into her room and slammed the door flinging herself onto her bed. Someone who she had considered a friend, to a certain extant, had just called her a whore. Not with words but with his eyes. Those eyes that held disgust and outrage. He looked like she had betrayed him.

"Araie..." A beam of light flew onto her back as her mother cracked open the door. "My sweet, why are you acting like you've been hurt."

"I will never be accepted anywhere, will I mama?" Araie murmured into her bed.

Mara blinked and then sighed. All of her children were outcasts of a sort, even Ulyesses and his status that he held, he was feared and people avoided him. But now after the war, Araie was more alone than before. Her father and most of her brothers were dead. Her older sister ran away after the war and Araie had fallen even more into loneliness. "Araie, you are a one-of-a-kind person, and some people just don't understand that."

"I went out with Ailbhe and Sorrell saw us...he was repulsed by what I was wearing," she sniffed, "I was embrassed."

Mara sat next to Araie, stroking the red hair that her late mate had himself. She smiled, "Your upset by what an avian thinks? Araie, a simple dress can be a scandal here. Your upset over nothing."

Araie knew her mother was right, but the look he had given her made her feel so disgusted with herself, "He was my friend..."

Mara stopped stroking her daughter's hair and looked down at her. "You will not tell your brother this, or he'll be put away for murdering the 2nd in command of the Royal Flight," she said in a low tone.

Araie turned her head, "It doesn't matter...he's just another avian."

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**Tada! Presto! Here ya go! Now review my pretties!**


	5. Incomplete

**Looks like it shall be me to start. Hope ya'll like it. - Sine**

**To SugarCreamSprinkleMuffin: Ta-Dah! Haha, I know that I normally don't start it so ha! I believe it is Cops and Inmates again tonight. And I wuv you!**

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It was a nice day; warm, sunny,what was there not to like? For Aiden Sorrell, there was a lot to add to that list. While he considered it an honor to watch after his Tuuli Thea, he rather found the long hours shadowing her to be tedious and uneventful. Not that he wanted anything to happen! ...He really wanted to go apologize to Araie. The raven knew it had been a bit cruel, but it was completely appropriate within Avian society... even though it meant his hurting her...

Today he tried to keep his mind off of it. Despite her being pregnant, Danica insisted on going out to the Flight training grounds and visiting everyone. Zane was very anxious when it came to his mate and preferred when she stayed near the Keep and away from any possible incident. Obviously, being here was a clear violation of said wish. Not that he minded, he was getting to spare with Sadira; who was avoiding her own shadow... a very tall formidable shadow.

She seemed very keen on making sure that she was never alone with him and as distant as she could manage. Aiden, himself, was nervous in the presence of the man... After the encounter with Araie and her... lover. He had been receiving some cold glares from Ailbhe, but they didn't intimidate him as much as Ulyesses's presence was now. A swift _twack!_ to the back of his head brought him back to the duel he was having.

"What's the matter Aiden? Afraid of your princess?" she teased. Her goldenrod hair was held back with a simple string and flowed in the wind like golden sunshine. Her equally golden eyes were focused on him, studying his movements, but underneath was an emotion he didn't have a name for. He had never seen it in her eyes before. Sadira's posture didn't help any, as she was twirling the wooden daggers in her hand, body taut and muscles tensed; ready for the next attack.

He rolled his neck back and gave a lazy sweep with his short sword, "Of course not. I figured I'd give you an advantage by letting you have the first few blows before I send you with your tail feathers missing." They talked big but they never who would win which duel. While Danica had more experience on the field, her sister was actually a bit more talented with her fighting. Though she couldn't beat Rei, Aiden knew few who could, she certainly deserved a bit more praise.

Offering him a slight smirk, the last Avian princess taunted him, "Well hurry up, my sister will have her baby by the time you get your slow hatchling feet within range."

"As my princess commands," he sneered with a lunge. The practice area was the only place Avians ever danced, and they were dances of life or death. Not here obviously, but if you couldn't keep up here then you never would away from the Keep. They both circled and charged for the other in the death dance, wooden weapons assaulted each other with loud _crack_'s and _whack_'s. Sadira was a mere flash of gold before she was within feet from him. Something really must be irking her for the hawk to move so fast. He would ask later, he was too busy trying to break through her guard. And to not think of Araie's hurt face... Her brilliant green eyes full of hurt.

Ulyesses had seen enough. "Tuuli Thea," he looked down at the woman who was seated next to him.

"Yes Opries?" Danica didn't like him, but she had noticed how observant he was and was impressed.

"May I intervene? This is ridiculous," he shook his head.

"If they allow it," she sighed, "they don't have to win."

"No, but it looks terrible." He approached slowly. "Hey, idiots," he came up next to Aiden and pulled on his collar while catching Sadira's foot effortlessly.

"Get off me!" Aiden jerked away in defense. Sadira glared.

"Shut up. You're sad for a command in a high ranking guard," Ulyesses cracked his neck. "You're teaching your princess poor form."

Aiden stepped back and crossed his arms, "Oh yeah? Care to elaborate?" Aiden didn't care to use his reserve for the serpent at his left. It could be that Opries had the audacity to interrupt their spar.

"Certainly. Princess, move," he took off his uniform jacket and shirt, revealing the taunt, hard muscle. Sadira looked away, trying to hold off a blush, and walked angrily towards Danica.

"What a rude man," Sadira sat next to her sister in a huff.

"Calm down. You might learn something. He is a professional. Ulyesses taught Zane and Ailbhe how to fight." Danica kept her cool, even though she agreed with Sadira.

Aiden glared at Ulyesses as the bigger man moved in front of him. Ulyesses crossed his arms, "Make your move." Aiden took a deep breath and swallowed the intimidation of Ulyesses's height. He held his sword and stood his stance, then moved quickly, trying blind side Ulyesses, but he was on the ground in seconds, not even seeing Ulyesses's defensive move. "Your stiff. Move your weight around," Ulyesses leaned over him and held out his hand.

The raven ignored it and pulled himself off the ground. "I don't really need any pointers. My abilities have kept me and the princess both alive, they're fine for us. We have no need of _your_ techniques," he stated coldly.

Ulyesses's eyes hardened at the way Aiden had said "your". He would teach the bird a thing or two about fighting. Being second-in-command of the Flight was nothing to his position in the Palace Guard. "Fine, show me just how good you are."

The Raven didn't smirk, didn't boast, he simply threw himself at the Serpiente. The abruptness wasn't expected, but it hardly fazed him as he caught the wooden blade in his hand. Aiden glared, "Well, we know one thing. If this was real you would have just lost a hand."

"A mere cut compared to losing your weapon is a well spent sacrifice," his competitor said coolly.

Now Aiden did sneer, "Cut? Your hand would be wolf food by now. Somewhere out in the middle of the woods."

"How can you be sure that it isn't your carcass out there being gnawned on?"

"Because it's _my _sword stuck in your hand as of now."

Aiden kicked at Ulyesses, who blocked with his thigh. Then, with a swift swipe of his legs, knocked down Aiden and pointed the sword at his neck, "It is also your sword that is at your neck. Just because you hate me doesn't mean we can't learn from each other, since it is I that will be watching your princess's back." He dropped the wooden sword and picked up his uniform and walked back towards Sadira and Danica.

Sadira was mesmerized. He was so quick and efficient, just like his deadly animal counter part. She watched his muscles ripple as he walked closer to her and her sister. "That was impressive," Danica nodded in agreement.

Ulyesses shook his head, "No, I'm out of shape, I should have seen his movements earlier. I was sloppy." He laid on his back about 2 feet from Sadira and sighed contently. The sun felt nice on his skin.

Sloppy? Sadira almost scoffed. That didn't look sloppy... but then again he was captain of an elite guard for more than 10 years. All he had to do with in that time was practice and fight, so he was comparable to Andreios or what Ailbhe was. But he had taught Ailbhe and Zane.

"How old are you?" Sadira asked curiously. Zane was 22 now, as was Ailbhe, Ulyesses couldn't be to much older.

"27," he answer indifferently, cracking an eye open, "Why would you want to know?" 27? He was 5 years senior of most of the superiors in charge around here, 9 years her own. He didn't look that old though.

"I was just curious," She rolled her eyes. "How long have you been in the guard?" She watched Aiden take his place by Danica, obviously in a sour mood.

He shrugged, "My father started training me when I was 5, with a staff. Learned how to fight with swords and daggers when I was 8 and mastered a bow by 10...then hand to hand combat by 13..." he rose his brow in thought, "I'd say about 13 years since I was vowed in."

Sadira's golden brows shot up and Danica bit her lip. Their younger brother had died around the age of 16. So young to be sent out to kill and to be slaughtered. "You must have missed a childhood," Danica sighed, feeling the breeze going over her skin, rustling her hair and feathers. Aiden and Sadira exchanged sorrow filled glances.

"We all did," Ulyesses stood up, "We all lost someone, something, or ourselves to that war." He kept his back to them.

"Who did you lose?" Aiden asked, suddenly curious. He didn't feel sorry for the serpent but he hadn't lost family like others. Being an orphan, he instead watched all his friends suffer as their family was killed off. Rei, his brother and little sister. Danica and Sadira; Mara, Xavier, and their father all killed. Of course the former Tuuli Thea. He had seen their losses and seen them hide it, using their reserves as though they were the only things keeping them standing. He had never experienced such lose... and prayed he never would.

"Everyone but my sister and mother. My father, my brothers, my sister...my mate," he closed his eyes. Sadira blinked. His mate? He had a mate once... Who would have thought?

"Zane told me about that. I am sorry for your loss," Danica stood, "but as your Tuuli Thea, I will protect you from that tragedy."

Ulyesses scanned her face and then nodded, "I believe it...even though you're a damn bird." He murmured the last part.

"Like you mentioned," Danica looked back at her sister and Aiden, "We're watching out for one another."

* * *

"Araie, baby...pay attention to what you are doing," Mara took the tangled bread twist from Araie's hands and put it into her ball of bread dough. "Your lacking attention today. First the pies, opening the stands, now you can't even make a simple bread twist." She kneaded the bread and then rolled it back out.

Araie looked down at her hands and bit her lip, "Ailbhe doesn't want to pursue our relationship any more." She balled her first. "He says we are too different people and he's still grieving," she teared up.

Mara had stop kneading the dough and sighed, "Araie, then it obviously wasn't meant to be."

Araie slammed her hands on the table causing flour to go up in a cloud, "I am 18, mama! Most girls my age have little babies and their own homes!" She covered her face with her arm.

"That's because people died young because of the war. They mated young because they didn't know what the future held. Its changed Araie."

"No, it hasn't. I'm going to be alone forever, like Ulyesses," she began to cry. She didn't want to be alone like Ulyesses. "I don't wanna die a bitter virgin."

At that Mara began to laugh, "Bitter virgin?"

Her daughter blushed slightly, "Ulyesses said that he wouldn't allow me to pursue a man... and that I'd die a bitter virgin. And he'd kill my mate if I went behind his back."

The older serpiente woman chuckled again, not that Araie understood why... it wasn't funny. "Dear, my brothers told me the exact same thing. I believe it is the simple fact that they don't like the image of their baby sister having a mate and doing things that would make these respectable Avians blush just thinking about. Once you have one he'll get over it."

"If I ever have one," the red-head muttered as she made another attempt at a bread twist.

Mara kissed her daughter's fiery curls, "Don't talk like that. Perfect the bread twists again and you'll bring hundreds of men here, drooling from the smell. Then, they'll forget all about the bread when they catch your eye. Then you'll be surrounded with men trying to court you."

"I don't think the idea of drool is very pleasing mama," Araie said with a grimace.

"Depends, some men like it wet." Mara snickered and Araie's eyes widened and she gaped at her mother.

"Mama!" She covered her mouth.

"Oh, try again Araie or I'll send you out for the day, might make you go take lunch to Ulyesses."

Araie's nose scrunched up, "That jerk can starve."

Mara shook her head and sighed, "You two were strangers during the war. You didn't meet your brother till you were 5, I'm surprised you've grown so close to each other."

Araie carefully twisted the dough and then spread sweet cream over the top. When it baked it would brown and give the bread a delicious top. "I still don't know him. All I knew was Baven, Miekel, and Sidda," she frowned when she said her sister's name.

Mara hugged her daughter, "She'll come back I'm sure."

"Tomorrow is the anniversary. When she left and when...you know..._ she_ died."

"Then you must leave Ulyesses alone." Mara turned around and grabbed a jar which held certain contents,"Go to him now and give him this. Tell him the hibiscus sugar is for princess Sadira, as a thank you for getting Ulyesses out of that black smith shop." She brushed her daughter's hair back, "Now go." She shooed her out the door. Araie held the bag to her chest.

All the emotions she was feeling made her feel conflicted and sour. She hadn't slept well last night, since after Ailbhe told her he was no longer interested in their relationship. She didn't think that his heart break over his sister conflicted with them, but he had left Araie with a sore spot in her chest. She closed her eyes and sighed. She wanted to go back to the Serpiente Court so bad.

Araie slammed into a hard chest and was about to fall back but some one had grabbed her arm and yanked her back up into their arms. She heard the jar drop and some one next to her groan.

"Araie you klutz." It was Ulyesses, but it wasn't Ulyesses holding her tenderly. She looked up into hazel eyes who were staring back at her intently and they studied her bright red face. He took an intake of breath. Her soft little body felt so nice in his arms and the way she was looking at him made him want to do some un-avian things to her. It was just him and her till she was yanked out of his arms. "Keep your grimy hands of my sister bird!" He felt a cold hand on his neck and Araie squeaked.

"Esses! Let go! Stop it."

Sadira, appearing from the background, grabbed Ulyesses's hand to try to pry it off, but as soon as it made contact with his skin he yanked his hand back, away from her.

"If I hadn't have caught her she would have fallen and been hurt," Aiden sneered at Ulyesses.

"Better than you touching her," Ulyesses was taking large, deep breaths to keep him calm. That look the bird was giving his sister was disturbing. It made his blood boil and his muscles itched for a blade.

"Keep your temper checked, Opries, or I'll have you back in retirement," Sadira hissed. She was not liking the way that Ulyesses was glaring at her friend.

"Sadira, enough. Everyone stop. Ulyesses was just scared for his sister. The war just ended, its still new," Danica stood between the two parties and watched how Araie picked up a jar that was, miraculously, still intact and extended it toward Sadira shyly.

"Its from my mother. As a thank you," Araie remained near Ulyesses but went as near to the hawk princess as her brother would allow,"Its hibiscus sugar. She thought you would like it since you almost ate all ours when you came for tea." Ulyesses looked away from Sadira when Araie said tea. Tea ended up with some feelings that disturbed him and her. For a slight moment, Araie thought that she might not take it. She couldn't help but wonder if the scene between her brother and her was the cause for both their distant gazes.

Then she took it, gently, with a slightly smile tugging at the corners of her reserve, "Tell her it is greatly appreciated, and that, if it was alright, if I might come over for some tea again." What? Araie blinked in confusion while Ulyesses's jaw clenched. Aiden and Danica merely stood there indifferent, or so they appeared. "Of course I'll bring my own sugar instead of stealing more of your own. Her tea was wonderful and the biscuits were delicious, not to mention she was a gracious host."

The girl nodded, red curls bobbing, "Of course, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind having you back Shardae."

"Thank you," she cradled the jar as though a baby, too precious to be dropped. To her it was, the sugar was unlike anything else she'd had before. "Danica, since this is one of the few days we are going to be able to spend together we need to figure out what we are going to do-" the hawk's voice grew distant as she and her sister walked back toward the streets as the sun crept higher into the sky. They had both nodded their goodbyes to the girl and her brother gave her and Aiden a glare as he started to follow.

His icey blue glare was fixated on Aiden, "Come on Sorrell, can't you see they're leaving?"

"I just want to apologize to your sister," at the serpiente's murderous look he added, "I'm not going to touch her, merely talking."

At his sister's innocent gaze, and his charge's ever fading figure, he snarled, "One minute, if your feathery ass is not by my side after that then I'll hunt you down."

"Fine." Unsatisfied, Ulyesses stalked after the Shardaes, leaving Aiden and Araie alone. The raven's gaze softened after her brother left, the looked at her solemnly, "I am sorry you know."

"For what?" Araie had an idea, but it stung too much to talk about outright.

"The night before," just as she had figured, "I meant no harm by it-"

"Didn't you though?" Didn't mean anything? The look he had given her had wavered between disgust and appallment, how could he have meant anything but harm? "You have no clue what that did to me."

"I'm not used to-"

"Well maybe you should learn! Now, because of you, Ailbhe is no longer in holding up a relationship with me. We're over!" It wasn't his fault... but he had hurt her badly enough that she wanted to hurt him back... It was working too. His reserve fell enough that she could see the self hate in his eyes. A look she had seen in Ulyesses when he reminisced about his dead mate. It made her want to wrap her arms around him and take all of it back... but instead she turned around, "So goodnight Sorrell, take care of our Naga and her baby."

Aiden felt an emotion he never had before as he watched her walk away... an incomplete feeling, a breaking, a numbness, that left him frozen.

* * *

**There you have it! You have to review for us both, or my SnugglyBoo disappears and then nothing gets posted anymore D= - Sine**


	6. His Weakness

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Here's where it starts to get more intense. Also where the romance really starts, Ulyesses is such a jerk though =P - Sine

But he's a super sexy jerk! - A4J

Also, sorry for the lack of posting. The holidays put a bit of a delay on it but here it is!

* * *

Day had hit, the streets coming alive with what seemed like millions of people... all serpiente. Sadira had no clue why she had let her hormonal sister choose where they went, she should have known she would have chosen to stay on the Serpiente side... They hadn't been walking for very long, the crowd pressing ever closer to their Naga meant that they were just getting closer to her. Which Sadira obviously didn't enjoy. Even Aiden was guarded, his expression and movements stiff. Then again, a cold look had slipped over his face the moment he had rejoined them, Sadira hadn't been able to drag one word out of the raven.

"Oh Sadira," Danica had paused, a happily mournful look on her face, "How I miss dancing and earning Mellos. What I wouldn't give to dance with Zane up there right now in the sun." Sadira followed her sister's gaze to the dais that had been built specifically for the spectacle so common at the Serpiente Palace. A couple of girls were dancing together, midriffs bare and brightly colored braziers and skirts gleaming. She would never have admitted it, but she was so interested in the art, envious of how they could get their bodies to twist in such a sensual way. She had actually practiced in her room, curtains draw and door locked. Standing in front of her mirror with the most revealing article of clothing she owned on.

She had done this on more than one occasion.

Pulling up her reserve, she turned back to Danica, "Dani, I just don't see what you find so marvelous in it. It's just women wearing as little clothing as they can get away with just so men can watch their skirts fly up and their chest bounce." Sadira was fully aware of both men standing near them but she didn't care; the princess was convinced that she had to make herself not like it so much. "It's highly demeaning. Singing on the other hand is art. Not everyone can gain control of their voice."

"Don't knock something you haven't tried," Danica replied challengingly with one golden eyebrow raised. "I thought the same thing until A'isha started teaching me. Now I understand why the Serpiente love it." She placed a delicate hand over her swollen belly, "I would challenge you, but I don't think I would do a very good job of making it up there without help."

"I wouldn't even bother," Sadira turned around surprised, she had almost forgotten Ulyesses was there. "I doubt she would even try it, after all, that's why she's insulting us "serpents". She's jealous and knows that she would look like such a fool if she attempted it. If she can't do something, it's "demeaning" to every woman on this earth." Said princess glared at him, Ulyesses shot her a wicked grin, "Oh come now, you know as well as I that your sister is the only bird that can dance."

"Don't talk about yourself. Just because your ego is larger than your brain doesn't hide the fact that you haven't challenged me to dance either," she said matter-of-factly.

His eyes hardened but his expression remained the same, "It's because I have no desire to just stand up there as I wait for you to figure out to dance. I'd much rather just do that here where I'm not embarrassing myself." _And not think about Sisal..._She loved dancing...they used to dance all night when he was home from battle. Ulyesses kept the pain to himself as he stared down at the Shardae in a mocking manner.

That was it, she'd had it! Sadira flashed him a suggestive grin, "Very well then, I'll just go up there myself. I don't need balls for courage." Without waiting for his reply, she made her way to the dais. No one stopped her, instead she saw thousands staring at her in shock as they made a path for her. Once upon the stage, Sadira let her sunlit hair out of her ponytail and felt it cascade over her shoulders. She wasn't about to strip out of her tan slacks, but she did remove her light blue silk shirt to reveal a strapless brown shirt, it was more to give her over-shirt a smoother look than it was for fashion. In this case it gave her more moving room.

Closing her golden eyes, Sadira let the Avian princess disappear and let in the same girl that had flirted with Ulyesses not too long ago. She wanted to dance, wanted to sway and twist like a snake. To feel the music in her bones. She let her golden covered head roll back as she felt the music pick up slowly, then her hips rose and fell as she could hear the drum hesitantly start its complex rhythm. Then a flute joined and the music was a fast as a summer breeze. Sadira was a hawk, she knew how to fly on the winds, but this new Sadira knew how to fly to the beat. Her hips dipped and hit with the drum while her hands twisted around her like snakes, she would shimmy when she felt required to show off her bust and sidled across the stage to keep from standing still.

She hardly noticed when the music slowed, somehow she was on her knees with her back arched when the music ended. The hawk didn't want to stop. As if to read her mind, a young Serpiente man stepped onto the stage. His coal black hair wasn't as dark as Zane's and his emerald eyes glimmered in admiration. She knew she wasn't near as fluid with her moves as the other women, but it didn't matter as she stood to take his hand. Suddenly she wasn't Avian and he wasn't Serpiente, they were just two fliers in this wind of music. The moment it picked up, they were flying off into it. Twirling around each other and bending, swaying, dipping, snapping across the stage. The feeling was intoxicating

Ulyesses kept his eyes to the ground, an action that took much of his will to complete. The girl up on the stage was the one who had had him in her trance a few nights ago. A fearless woman, not a pampered princess, one who right now was fighting his control as she demanded attention from all who could see.

"Now see, that's not fair. I have to be large with child and watch her do what I want to do the most," Danica sighed teasingly, "but it is beautiful."

Aiden wasn't quite sure just how to react to all this. His reserved friend was up on the dias dancing, with a serpiente - whom she all but loathed. Yet the look on her face made it appear as if there were no boundaries. No hawk, no snake. Just two beings enjoying the beat of the music that drove them on.

"We have to keep moving," Ulyesses mumbled.

Danica snapped out of her trance and looked at the sun, she abruptly sighed and then glanced at Aiden. "He's right. We'll come back later and then she can continue." She hated to pull her sister away, but time was valuable today, especially for Ulyesses and the remaining Cobriana. They were all solemn and distant and even Irene wore a mask of sorrow today. It was not a day to celebrate...

Aiden nodded and tried to make his way through the crowd, trying not to touch any one as much as possible. Hard to do when the crowd's eyes were unwavering from the stage. The raven managed despite it all; he straightened himself up as he got closer and caught his princess's eye.

Sadira had spotted him as she glided across the dais, sorrow overcame her. She didn't want to stop... but by the look on his face it was clearly time to go. Spinning away from her partner, she gave a carefully guarded Avian nod in farewell to the serpent, who gracefully bowed in turn, and stepped off the dais. The moment she did the melos were being offered to her rapidly and she blushed at the praise. She had barely managed to grab a hold of a blue colored sash as Aiden grabbed her arm and drug her out of the crowd. She allowed herself a small smile, who knew she was so good at dancing?

Glancing down at her prize, she realized it was the same color as Ulyesses's eyes... a brilliant cold blue.

* * *

Both royal families stood before the tomb, all dressed in the Cobriana colors, including the remaining Shardae. Even Ulyesses's family was there, Mara and Araie stood close to him, holding flowers and items Sadira couldn't identify. The families had traveled a long way from the court, into the woods where they found a statue of the first Cobriana herself: Kiesha. A graceful statue that guarded a roman styled building which held concrete tombs of the dead family members, each lid carved to their likely forms before death. One she could recognize as Charis.

Sadira, though, could not figure out why Ulyesses and his family were there, as it was for royal members only. Not even Aiden and Ailbhe were allowed. She let the thoughts go though as Zane made his way from the crowd toward the statue.

He turned toward everyone and spoke, "I thank you all for coming here today, even those who used to be our mortal enemies. The war between the avians and serpiente has taken many things from us, things that will never be replaced. Today, since it was impossible during the war, we morn the fallen. My sister, brother, and I are all grateful that you, Shardae, have come, as you are still in morning yourselves." Sadira frowned slightly. Brother? Irene and Salem were the only other Cobriana she knew of other than Zane, her thoughts ceased as he continued. "The family will go first, then we will invite you to say our prayers." He held out his hands and Irene cam from the crowd, Salem cooing in her arms. Then Ulyesses stepped forward, Sadira's confusion grew as she watched him.

The three went up the steps, all with flowers, vials, and other things tucked in their hands, the others waited the bottom of the stairs. Sadira saw Ulyesses make a bee line for a tomb near the front, while Zane and Irene stood before all of them. She looked at Danica or her mother for answers but Danica was holding her belly, eyes closed. Nacola was staring forward like stone, as usual. She looked over at Araie and Mara, who were both in silent tears. Soon Zane came back to the entrance and nodded. Mara and Araie made a silent path to Ulyesses while the others followed Irene and Zane. Sadira though, was curious. Ulyesses wasn't a Cobriana, and if he was he'd have the same eyes and hair as Zane and Irene. Maybe he was Charis's nephew? But then, why wouldn't have Mara and Araie gone first as well?

She proceeded up the stairs and took a deep breath. The thought of the dead scared Sadira. These where the people she had helped slaughter: sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers...all now in solid tombs, never to open their eyes again. She looked at one and saw it to be Gregory, the one who had witnessed the first step towards peace. His name was written on the side and his mother and father's names along with his birth date. 17 years old. Barely an adult.

She looked up to see Ulyesses staring down at one of the tombs, his eyes glossed over as if he was reminiscing something from a distant memory. Araie and Mara stood behind him, saying silent prayers. Sadira saw Ulyesses's hand come up and place a melos on the tomb; a golden melos. Sadira's eyes widened; gold meant mates, soul mate. The one he was laying on the tomb was defiantly gold. She approached slowly and felt more remorse overcome her. Sisal Cobriana, the eldest of the Cobriana's. She had been pregnant when she was killed. Stabbed in the womb by an avian soldier. This was why Zane was so close to the man, why he was so accepted among the royal family. He was mated to the oldest. Almost a father of a Cobriana.

Sadira heard teeth grind; opening her eyes, she caught Ulyesses clenching his jaw and his eyes squeezed shut while tears poured out of them. His fist was over the womb of the carving of Sisal.

Ulyesses knew she was there, looking at him with those eyes, seeing his weakness, his sorrow. He didn't care, he didn't care if his family saw, he couldn't care if the whole damn Keep saw. This was all that was left of his mate and their unborn child. A corpse in side of stone tomb. "It was my fault." He croaked and chocked on his own tears, "I let her die." He gripped his hair as his breathing increased, "I could have saved her." Mara touched his arm and he shrugged her off; fist clenched in his hair. "I should have saved her..." His voice was weak and he began to shake. "I should have fucking saved her!" He was yelling now, and everyone heard it this time.

Zane and Irene stood by him, saying and doing nothing. Ulyesses then fell to his knees and screamed. Sadira covered her mouth, trying not to scream herself out of fear for what she was witnessing. It was terrible, so frighting and terrible. Zane covered his own face and let the silent tears fall as Mara embraced her sobbing son. This is why Sadira hated the war so much. Pointless death, stupid and unnecessary death. This woman had been carrying a child, a child who never graced the earth or knew its father or enjoyed learning how to dance.

"Oh Skies Ulyesses, stop, please." She begged. Nacola sent her a warning glance, but Sadira couldn't take it.

"Shut up..." Ulyesses stood and looked at Sadira with more hate than before, enough to make her visibly cringe.

"No," she said defiantly, "I can't, this war..." She felt the tears; her mother would chastise her later. "Why didn't we end it sooner? Why did our families let this happen? For pride?" She looked around the solemn faces and watched as Ulyesses shakes racked his body and scowled at her. "Is this something to be proud of?" she pointed to Ulyesses, "I feel shame for a death I didn't even cause, but one I didn't prevent either."

Ulyesses's eyes softened then. She was upset over his loss, over his pain. He felt Mara hold him close and Araie take his hand.

"Sadira, this is not the tim-" Nacola started, but Sadira turned on her.

"Why didn't you stop it? Why didn't grandmother or your grandmother end it? Why did it take so long for it to end? Why did it take so long till one of us realized there had to be self sacrifice?" she covered her heart, "There are children dead because we failed as leaders to protect our people. We failed." The hawk clenched the fabric of her shirt and turned away from them all. What had just come over her? She had just retreated down the steps when she felt someone grab her and pulled her back. She turned to see Mara and the green eyes she had shared with her daughter.

The Serpiente woman stroked the golden locks back and wiped the tears away, "Now, now Shardae, you are far to pretty to cry." She held her face delicately. Sadira could sense eyes on them, Ulyesses, Araie, and her mother were the only ones she could make out from the corner of her eye.

Nacola looked tense and upset, "I know I failed. This should have ended years ago, should have ended before it started." The woman shook her head. "But it has ended now. Thanks to your sister and Zane, we do not have to suffer more loss, we do not have to look at each other and always think of death. It's better now than never."

Sadira couldn't respond, she just surrendered to the enormous feeling of lose around her. It consumed her very being down to the core. "I-... I saw him die..." more tears made silent paths down her face. Reserve working enough to keep the sobs from escaping her throat. "Xavier... I saw him get struck down. I couldn't do anything. I watched him take his last breath. He and Gregory were just boys, boys!" Mara's face became blurry as long time guilt finally escaped her. "I shouldn't have been at the battle that day but I was, I was tired of sitting around. I wanted to help. I-I'm not innocent in this, blood stains my hands as well... I had found Xavier and tried to get him to go back home. He refused. I had turned around for two seconds when I heard him cry out. I just watched him die, I just stood there until he-... he never got up. I should have- Why didn't I-"

Shakes racked her shoulders and she clenched her eyes shut as a the first sob choked her. The second almost sounded like her hawk counter part in pain. And she was. Sadira let her head rest on the Serpiente woman's shoulder like her own mother would never let her do. She had failed her brother when he had needed her the most. The sight of him just laying there would never cease to haunt her.

Mara began to hum a lullaby that she used to sing to her own children, as she did Araie stepped down the stairs slowly and took both Sadira and Mara's hands in her own before bowing her head in silent prayer. Danica followed and took Mara's other hand and Zane took hers. Soon most everyone was in a circle holding hands, crying in agony or just offering silent support.

Nacola had yet to join the circle, battling a silent war within herself. It was time to grieve, but her avian upbringing was conflicting with her emotions. She had watched a serpent comfort her daughter in a way that she could have never have. What kind of mother was she that she couldn't even comfort her own child? She felt guilt, so much guilt that she couldn't offer her own embrace like the woman Mara did so easily. She let her guard down. Nacola had lost too many loved ones. Her heart was broken and even her two daughters, who were raised with the same beliefs and rules, were shedding tears. The former Tuuli Thea stepped forward and took Irene's other hand, letting a few tears shed.

Sadira clung to the two hands who were gripping hers. She knew people had moved around but she was oblivious as to who's hand she was holding now. It wasn't warm though, so she knew it wasn't an avian she was touching. Opening her eyes, she looked at her hand. A large tan one engulfed hers and was gripping her much smaller hand like a lifeline. Golden eyes followed the arm up to rest on the face of the red haired serpent who's face was drenched in tears. He had his eyes closed, despite it, she could see how angry he was. Did he feel ashamed because he had broken down? Was his grudge that strong? Sadira kept her eyes locked on him. Her image of Ulyesses would never be the same.

* * *

The long walk back to the Keep was tension-filled and quiet. Sadira, Araie, and Danica made up the middle while Zane and Ulyesses were in the back, guarding. Galin in the front. Nacola had gone ahead and flown back. Araie was observing the trees, her eyes wide, Sadira swore she could see the girl's ear twitch with every sound. Sadira didn't know anything about the girl, other than her brother was wrapped around her little fingers. They really didn't look much alike, like she and Danica did. Araie was small and bubbly, while he was large and bitter about everything. Even their facial features were different.

"Princess, you're staring at me like you've never seen me before. Thankfully it's not like the way your looking at my brother," Araie teased, giggling before calling out to her brother and trying to catch up to him.

Danica raised a golden brow at her sister, giving her a questionable look as the hawk princess turned crimson.

In what way had she been looking at Ulyesses? She was just observing the differences between siblings. But her mind told her differently... _Oh Shardae, you stupid hatchling, you've fallen into a demented, tortuous love._Love? Sadira almost staggered, the air snatched from her lungs in horror. There was no way, none in the Skies! He was mean, rude, and a total idiot! He was a calculating, self righteous bastard who cared for only his and his family's lives. But that's what made her attracted to him; it explained why she always tried to impress him, to prove him wrong, to have the best come-back, or the last word. Why she had cried when he had broke down. _Oh Alisdair...I've gone insane..._ The hawk princess and the wounded snake. It was love at first glare.

* * *

**Yay! Fin! Yay! R&R my loyal readers!**


	7. Flying Without Wings

**Muhahaha! Well my faithful readers, the holidays are almost over. Sad I know. But I have decided to give my faithful reviewers teasers from now on. For ever review I get, I shall send you a teaser. If I forget, yell at me and throw a monkey at my head and I'll fix it. Chao! - A4J**

***Throws monkey at head just for the heck of it* Don't worry, I'll make sure she does =P. Things get a bit more serious in this chapter, quite more serious - Sine**

**Hoe! Not nice! -Jane**

**A/N: I, Jane, will be in cosmetology school as of Jan. 10, 2011 and it is full time schooling. Updates will be far in between. I can only write with my mobile phone, so some of the format may be different. I am sorry for the inconvience and I hope to be closer to a computer soon.**

**Much love!**

* * *

Ulyesses gripped the chair's arm as tight as he could, eyes never leaving his bed and who's nude figure was sprawled on it. Horror over took him as his memory regained its consciences. The golden woman on the bed would wake up and look at him with those eyes. But the emotion that would be in them would be a mystery till they opened. Damn his weakness. Damn her for caring.

If he had just kept his space, had told her to leave, forced her to leave, he wouldn't be staring at the naked hawk princess who was laying completely exposed to him, rays of sun hitting her golden body, making her glow.

Gods she was beautiful. More than beautiful, she looked like a goddess, and that night she had been his goddess. His deity and he had worshiped her as long as the night had permitted it and as long as she worshiped him back.

But this was a Shardae. An avian. And things like this didn't happen unless they were mated for life. Other than it was dirty and looked down upon more than publicly touching. He was prepared for tears when she woke up, that or the same emotion as last night. He closed his eyes and let the memory replay, as to see where he had fallen into that woman's arms.

* * *

_The day before at sunset _

Ulyesses had finally made it home and had locked himself inside of his house since then ignoring his sister's and mother's pleas to try to draw him out. He refused, shame still strong for acting like a child at the tombs. His beautiful mate. His wonderful, beautiful, caring mate was in a stone box forever, because he had failed as her mate.

When Sadira began to cry and had turned on the royal families, declaring they had failed, Ulyesses felt the failure of keeping Sisal and their child alive. He could have locked her in her room like had threatened that morning, he could have stayed that day. She was upset about her young brother Carson, and wanted revenge. But he had left and she had escaped and followed, fury driving her to her death. And the death of their unborn child.

He opened a cupboard and removed a large bottle or strong liquor which he had bought from a human merchant. He twisted the cork and the smell of alcohol stung his nostrils. He didn't drink, it blurred the mind and when you where a soldier on the battle field, a blurry mind was the last thing you needed. He took a good sized swallow and grimaced at its strength.

It was good, but the burn was unbearable. But that was what he needed. He continued to drink untill he felt the affects of it come over him. He set the bottle down and opened a chest where he had kept most of her things. Her dress she wore while dancing, a necklace he made her when they first met; she wore it quite often. And the melos she had given him back when gave her his. He sighed. It had been almost 3 to 4 years, if not longer. He didn't know any more.

A knock on the door made his shut the trunk and growl. "Go away, for the last time mama, I'm not hungry." He set the bottle down and peaked out the window to see what his mother wanted now. But she was not alone. "For the sake of the Cobriana, why mama..." He sighed, resting his head against the door.

"Open up. You have a guest." She said with demand. She was no little old serpent! He was her son after all, so it was only natural to check up on him often. She had been making the sweet biscuits that Sadira had taken a liking to when Araie walked in, a nervous Sadira following into the home. A jar of hibiscus sugar in hand. Like before when she came with Sorrell, she was greeted warmly and even received and comforting embrace from Mara. Sadira had felt like she belonged here and maybe she was born to the wrong woman.

When they sat for tea, Araie said Ulyesses went home quickly and told her to go play nice with the birdies, referring to Sorrell. Still angry about it, Araie said it was best, but Mara was concerned and said she was going to check on him one last time. Sadira offered to go, surprised that Ulyesses had a home to himself. According to Mara it was enough to house three. Now she stood waiting for the angry man to open the door. It had only been half a day, but her eyes craved the sight of him.

_Oh stop it, your acting like a hatchling_. But the moment she saw him, she felt the fluttering in her chest intensify. He looked tired, but the smell on him gave away to what he had been doing just a minute ago. Mara seemed unfazed by it and turned and left them in peace, figuring it would be pointless to stay. His eyes settled on her and he was quiet for a moment. He didn't know how to look at her any more since her outburst changed every thing. But what really had him was that she was holding a basket, full of food.

"May I come in?" She asked calmly, not wanting to seem rude.

"No." He went to shut the door, but she held out her hand to stop it.

"Please. Just for a minute. To talk." She pleaded with the same calm.

He frowned and grunted. His grip on the door tightened. "I said no."

She sighed and then bit her lip, looking down. "Please, I-I..." She looked up at him and tried to use what was left of her reserve. "I can't go to any one else, not even Aiden. They don't understand like you do." She looked down at the basket. She held it out. "Mara asked me to give this to you." She looked up at him.

He set his jaw. He took the basket and looked in it. Bread and meat. Delicious meat. He felt the hunger come on and he silently cursed his mother for knowing him so well. He could never resist meat. Much like how Araie could not resist the sweets they sold in stalls. He sighed and stepped back a bit to let Sadira pass.

Seeing he was permitting her into his home she moved quickly before he could change his mind. But it was a shock to her. She had heard and seen, with Mara's home, that serpiente homes were highly decorated with tapestries, ornaments, and rugs. But Ulyesses's home was bare, almost shell like. It was also only 2 rooms. Not rare for serpent homes as the people who inhabited them were rarely home. All that was needed was a place to sleep.

Ulyesses pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit as he set the basket down on the table and took a seat for himself. She sat quietly and watched and he pulled the meat that Mara had cooked for him out and began to eat it with his fingers. How typical of him.

"Talk." He demanded. The sooner she did the faster she would leave. He blinked a couple of times and sighed. The liquor was working its magic.

"Your drunk." She stated, hoping he wouldn't argue.

"Is that a problem?" He raised a brow at her. "Because I can tell you about how much I don't care." There was that snarky, mean attitude she knew.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, other than it dimming you sense of judgment and making your mood worse, I do not care what you do in your time off. I'm not as pampered as you think."

She turned her head, golden hair falling over her shoulder like a golden water fall. His eyes watched the stands settle. Damn woman...damn beautiful woman. He cleared his throat and rolled his eyes. "Highly doubt it."

She scoffed. "Alright you pompous ass. I am not a sheltered little hatchling."

He tilted his head back and let out a loud laugh. "Oh no the little birdie swore!" He hit the table and she growled in frustration. She was put up with his image of her. How he thought she was fragile and stuck up.

She pushed the basket out of the way and grabbed his collar in a speed that would have put a Cobriana to shame. She pulled herself and him to meet in the middle, only an inch away from him. His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned out. "Don't even think about. You will regret it." He hissed quietly. His strong hands gripped her shoulders. He knew that the girl who had flirted with him in his mother's kitchen and who had danced on the dais fearlessly, the girl who had power over his emotions was stirring in Sadira's eyes like fire.

He knew what was going to happen if she became that girl, and he didn't have power to stop himself taking over the situation.

"Oh yeah? What could you do to me? I'm not afraid of you or any one for that matter." She said haughtily.

He stood up slowly, hands still gripping her arms, his breath fluttered against the top of her head. "I haven't been with a woman since my mate died. You do what I think your were thinking, I won't be able to hold back." He laughed bitterly. "I'd have you flying across the room to my bed, with out the use of your wings." He whispered near her ear. "So you should be terrified." She kept her eyes on his chest as his words sunk in. He wouldn't be violent, but he was giving her fair warning that he wouldn't hold back.

"What if I don't take you seriously."

"You'll hurt for the next week." She gulped back some air she had been holding. Her nerves were shaken and her emotions were still sorrowful. She shook her head. She was acting like an idiot. "This couldn't have been what you were here for, was it?" He broke the silence. They were still close together and his hands had removed themselves.

"What's it like?" She looked up and looked into to his cold blue gaze.

"I'm not following you, princess." He sat back down and ran a hand threw his auburn hair.

She longed to touch it to make him feel more relieved but she kept her hands at her sides. "To be in love. What is it like to be in love?" She asked with her mask on. She knew serpents hated reserve but she had to put up that barrier or she would lose it. She only asked him this question because she absolutely knew he had and was still in love with Sisal. She wouldn't get a straight answer from Danica.

He stilled himself and stared at his hands. What was it like to be in love? Hell, it hurt, it was painful, but it was also sweet and comforting to know that your heart belonged to someone. It was beautiful to know that they were the one could trust always and rely on in troubling times.

"Painful. Very painful. But it's also bittersweet." He looked up at her. "If your in love with someone who does not love you back then you're just in for a world of hurt." He looked away.

He looked like he was tired and off some where Sisal was still with him. That confirmed it. That was what she needed to know. Her reserve cracked and she laughed bitterly. Damn, damn, damn. She spoke in a broken whisper. "Then I'm in love."

It was his turn to laugh. "Oh? Don't even try Sorrell is smitten for my sister. Damn bastard." He shook his head. Surprised about his words she shook her head. Aiden smitten for Araie? Well, I guess it wasn't unheard of. Sorrell's eyes were soft around Araie and her anger at him, the reason she didn't know, seemed to hurt him. But saying Sorrell was her love interest made her laugh.

She bit her lip as she continued to chuckle. "No, no. Aiden and I will never be. He's not the one." She felt the tears.(Italics) Don't cry Shardae, don't you dare.

He fell silent. She didn't need to say it. Her face said it all, said the things her voice couldn't. He shook his head and scoffed. "Your joking." He stood up. "Gods Sadira, what are you doing." He covered his face.

She turned on him mouth open in shock. "Yes Ulyesses I did it on purpose. I am in tears because even I can't handle it!" She threw arms out. "What do you want me to do about it?"

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back and swallowed. "Leave, get out. I can't do this. I'll resign, I don't care, just go." He walked away from her into his room, cursing the whole way. She loved him? Him? Was her brains full of feathers? He wasn't eve over his first love. But it had been years. To many years. And he was more than alone.

"Leave? You want me to leave? Am I that vile? Is it because I'm an avian?" She followed him. She was loosing it.

"No, its because your the avian princess, its because your an avian, its because your so young, and its because I can't love you back, so I feel guilt." He rambled back at her as he searched for the bottle. He wasn't drunk enough to handle this. She stood there, watching him scramble around his room looking for that bottle. He was panicking. What hurt was the last few words he had said to her. (Italic) I can't love you back, so I feel guilt.

"Why?" She sounded like a child. So small and helpless. He turned around and stared at her. She was just standing there, unknown tears falling off her face, looking like he had struck her.

"I just can't. I won't be able love you like I did Sisal. I couldn't give you the life you deserved, and I can't promise you that I'd stay true to you." He walked toward her slowly. "I can't be someone I'm not to give you the love and compassion you need and deserve as a woman." He took a deep breath. "And as a Shardae; I can't Sadira."

She stared up into the blue gaze that seemed to hold her forever. She shook her head and let out a whimper helplessly. "Who in the skies told you I wanted to be treated like the avian princess Sadira? Who said I was demanding all those things from you?" She reached up and grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. "So, what are going to do?"

He grabbed her hand. "Remember what I said about flying?" His eyes roamed over her face, waiting for her word. "I have a sense its going to happen." She entangled her fingers in his hair and smashed her mouth against his. Just like the rest of him, his kisses were hard and rough, and when she yelped from surprise when he took over the kiss, he went feral. She was soft and fragile and right now she was all his.

* * *

_Present _

Gods, he could have shoved her out the door and told her to never come back. He had to resign, he couldn't keep protecting her if he couldn't protect her from himself. He stood up and grabbed her clothes and laid them on the chair, then proceeded to pull the blanket up to her chin and smoothed her hair back. How he wished he could lay with her and not feel guilt or sadness. To not be ashamed of what he had done. He made himself look presentable and grabbed a shirt for himself. He needed to eat first and then tell his mother. She would know what to do, after she beat him.

* * *

"Ugh, of all the mornings she could have had me go for errands, she chose the hottest one." Araie moaned, shifting uncomfortably in her dress. She wished for the dancer's uniform, she wouldn't have been so hot. But she would have been embarrassed and conscience all the time about what people thought. Why though? Why should she? It was clear that she didn't have to worry about anyone else's opinion other than her mother and Ulyesses's. And he would be too drunk right now to care...

"Sorrell, should't you be with the Tuuli Thea?" Sorrell? Aiden was here? Why? Peeking around the corner, she spotted the familiar raven. His sandy blond hair in disarray, hazel eyes searching for something desperately. Another avian accompanied him, looking severally uncomfortable within the serpiente side of the market. Obviously his first time visiting.

He sighed, running a hand over the back of his head and brushing the feathers that resided there, "The Tuuli Thea does not need me at the moment. She's gone into labor so she under the protection of the midwife as of now. I'll be turned into stew if I step one foot into that room and I have no desire to be the Alistair's next meal." Danica was having her baby? So what was _he _doing here?

"And?"

"And I have some unconcluded business here. No one ever said you had to follow me here, so you may go." Go he did, the soldier shifted and took off toward the Keep so fast that Araie's eyes could hardly keep up. Since when did Aiden Sorrell have any business on this side of the market? Well whatever it was it did not concern her nor was she interested.

She went to turn away from the two when the other said something that stopped her dead in her tracks: "If I didn't know any better I'd say you where eavesdropping." She squeezed her eyes shut tight and cursed. Damn guards who were trained to pick up on things like that. She didn't turn, instead taking her red curls in her hands and combing them with her fingers nervously. She felt the heat from his body before seeing him in front of her.

"Please. If you walk away there will always be bitterness and I don't want you to feel that way." He grabbed her arm and sighed as she looked at him with venom, trying to ignore the scales going over her skin.

She was breathing calmly, but her tiny body had become as hard as steel has soon as his skin made contact with her's. She was stronger and deadlier than before. "Let me go or I'll kill you."

He clenched his jaw and his eyes searched her face for any indication of fear. She was afraid, but she was hiding it with anger. "No, please. I know I don't deserve a second chance or a new beginning, but by Alistair if I have to get down on my knees right here and now, I will do so." He dropped his reserve. "I enjoy your company to much to let you hate me forever."

She looked away and let her muscles relax. He wasn't going to hurt her. But she didn't know what to do. "You hurt me, Aiden." She looked at her feet in shame. "I know that kind of thing is not common in the Avian court, but you had no right to embarrass me or accuse me of being a harlot."

He felt his chest tighten. "Araie, I did not mean to. Gods, I am sorry, you are anything but a harlot or anything of that sort." He cupped her cheek with his hand. She kept her eyes looking down.

"Ailbhe left me because he didn't want to be spot with an outcast." She spoke quietly.

Aiden felt shocked. He had heard they had stopped pursueing eachother because Ailbhe was having trouble with his sister's death. Not because he was shallow and didn't want to be associated with an outcast, which she was not. Anger boiled with in him. How dare Ailbhe hurt her, how dare he break this fragile young girls heart. A heart he would had charished and kept safe. One he would have loved. One he did love.

He envolped her in his arms and cradled her head in his hand. He clenched his eyes shut and grit his teeth. He would protect her from them. From her brother, from Ailbhe, and from anyone else that would dare to cross her in a harmful mannor.

"Aiden?" She asked confused, bringing her hands up to his chest. "Sorrell?"

"You are not a harlot, you are not an outcast, and you are not an idiot." He pulled away from her slightly and looked into her confused emerald eyes. "Ailbhe is an idiot for letting you go and I would beat him to a nasty pulp."

Araie clutched the fabric of his shirt and shook her head. "One day your giving me glares, the next your making claims of affection, through violent words about another man, but none the less affectionate." She stepped back, smiling shyly. "Apology accepted."

He blushed slightly and he stepped back slightly. "Well, yes I was apologizing, but I was also trying to make it clear, every one else is an idiot."

She smiled downward and then grabbed his warm calloused hand with her's, lacing their fingers together. "Well, obviously." She smiled up at him. "Now escort me home, mama is expecting me back."

* * *

**Ok, so I wanted to do more with it before posting but it is already so long and overdue that I decided to just post as it and next chapter, and note this, just goes back to Ulyesses, and it is happening during the Aiden/Araie thing.**

**I also want to poll this so during your review, tell me who your favorite couple is:**

**Aiden/ Araie**

**Araie/ Ailbhe**

**Ulyesses/ Sadira**

**If your couple wins the poll you'll get an extra teaser.**

**Chao!**


	8. Bitter Goodbyes

**Alright, I can't take credit for 99% percent of that last chapter. It was all my amazing associate Janie =3 - Sine**

* * *

Even though she lacked body heat, Araie's touch set Aiden's hand on fire. They walked slowly, taking time, not wanting to hurry toward their destination where Ulyesses was sure to be. "We'll have to be secret, huh?" She asked quietly, keeping her emerald eyes on the ground in front of them.

He sighed. It was true, her brother would never approve and the scandal and rumors would be horrendous and he didn't want to overwhelm Araie with Avian cruelty and rumors. He tightened his grip on her hand gently and nodded. "You and your mother may not mind, but Ulyesses-"

"Just because he's my brother does not mean he can control me. He's sheltered me my whole life and I am an adult now, I can make decisions on my own." She frowned, her red curls flowing behind her. "But I'm fond of you and I would like you to stay alive so I won't tell him. Mama though, will know. She might even call you 'son'."

"I won't mind. She is a very nice lady."

"She is insane." She looked up at him and he smiled back at her. Here in the Serpiente Court they wouldn't be judged for holding hands, but the looks they received weren't fond either. An avian soldier and a serpent girl. Taboo.

* * *

Mara kept her eyes down at the dough and fruit she was using for a popular breakfast bread. She couldn't look up at her son, she just couldn't bear it. Ulyesses sat on a chair behind her, holding his face and trying to keep himself together. "She is an innocent girl, Ulyesses." Mara said in a low, melancholy voice.

Ulyesses shook his head and gave out a bitter laugh. "Your wrong mama. So, so wrong. It takes two for this dance." He looked down at his hands. He had washed them raw and still they felt dirty. He couldn't bear it. She was just a girl.

Mara slapped the bench and turned furiously on him. "She is a Shardae! Are you mad? In their culture there is no such thing as 'flings' and 'unmarried' sex! And she is young! When she wakes up she'll be terrified and alone!." She covered her face and took deep breaths. "You could have denied her, you could have left yourself or made her leave. What where you thinking?" She approached him slowly.

"I don't know mother." He didn't look at her, shame over flowed his features. "What if she carries?"

She bent down a bit and looked him in the eye. "She won't." He shook his head. At least that is what he hoped. Mara shook her head and inhaled deeply. "Now what will you do?"

He sighed and looked at her. "Talk to her. That's all I can do, and no one must know, even Araie." His eyes moved quickly toward the entrance. "We have company." There she stood, dressed in the clothes he left her and her eyes red from tears.

She felt her stomach turn into knots and her reserve was no longer existent. She was afraid and ashamed and she knew he regretted it. "Sadira," Mara stood up straight and approached her slowly. "Come eat something." She slowly wrapped her arm around Sadira's shoulders and walked her to a chair close but not to close to Ulyesses, who kept his eyes on the floor. Sadira clenched her eyes shut. So Mara knew. Sadira's embarrassment reached a new level and she felt the tears well in her eyes.

Forcing them back, she looked up at Mara and sighed. "I shouldn't stay long. My presence is intrusive." She looked at the clothes she was wearing. They smelt like...him. She blushed slightly at the memory of last night.

"Sadira. You are not intrusive." Mara nodded toward Ulyesses. "If any one is being intrusive its him." She closed the front of the stall and looked at Ulyesses. "I would leave, but I don't think your responsible enough to handle this alone."

Ulyesses looked at Sadira and opened his mouth, only to close it and sigh, shaking his head. She kept her eyes away from him, waiting for those words to shatter her world. Ulyesses leaned forward a bit and spoke as softly as he could, which wasn't much. "I am so sorry. I-I shouldn't have let it go so far, I should have been more responsible." There they were. Those heart breaking, soul shattering, mood changing words.

She clenched her fist and let out a shaky breath. "Why are you sorry?" She looked at him. "You're the only one who regrets anything." She kept her eyes hard and her reserve checked. She wasn't going to let him tear her down. Mara and Ulyesses looked at each other, Mara looking at him saying she knew what Sadira was saying. It had been clear to the serpiente woman for a long time. The princess was in love. With her rude, irritable, broken son. A doomed love.

"So its true. Its nothing but feathers in your head." Ulyesses laughed bitterly.

First he insults her by apologizing for the night before and now he has the nerve to comment about her sanity. The hawk rose too quickly on her sore legs, he had been right about one thing... she was tender in the worst of spots, the action made her stagger. "That may be but at least I can still love," she hissed out, much like a serpiente, "I had someone I loved killed in this war too. We never mated but I loved him. He was murdered in the same raid that took my brother from me." The memory made her flinch, she had seen not only her brother's death but..but his too.

Taking a deep breath, Sadira turned her golden gaze unto Ulyesses; painful truth being the only thing making them steady. "Despite it I've managed the impossible. I fell in love with one of the very kind that killed the man I swore I would never forget. In the past few days I've had to struggle to remember his name and his face because of you, believe me it's not the damned fate I'd wish but _I _can leave the dead for the living. I don't regret last night, whatever may come from it, but I regret that you can't even try to feel the same. Maybe you never could love me... but treat me as though I'm an equal, not something that disgusts you, that doesn't mean the polite princess crap either."

Ulyesses stood slowly and gazed down at her and Mara tensed. How he would react no one knew. "I do treat you as an equal. Always have. And I want to love again, but," He swallowed thickly and sighed. "Let's face it, I wouldn't pass the former Tuuli Thea or present one's inspection. I have a feeling we'd clash, terribly."

"Only with the way things are now would we," her features and her tone both softened, "Well if -I'm only saying if- you were to love me back then I wouldn't give a damn about what anyone else thought. My sister doesn't need me to rule, I'd only be a figure-head like my mother... It's a fate I don't wish. It wouldn't matter who I was with, no one could stop me." A sharp flare of pain between her thighs made her wince as she slid back into her chair, it was the last thing on her mind though.

"If you want to love again you have to let go of Sisal," It was then that Sadira had to drop her gaze to the floor, she could hardly handle things the way they were going now... "I know you could never love anyone else the way you did her, but it's tearing you apart holding onto her. I can see it ever time I look at you, the pain that you put up with everyday without her. One day it could kill you... she wouldn't want that. You shouldn't forget her, just try to find someone who can ease the pain and make it bearable..."

He was tense, more than tense, Ulyesses was shaking. "I am over Sisal's death... I'm not over what I could have done to prevent that death. I am afraid, I can't and won't be able protect you."

Sadira went to respond but the stall opened up quickly, the hawk had to blink against the invading light. Zane stood there, with the weirdest grin on his face. His garnet eyes burning brightly. "I'm a father! Oliza Shardae-Cobriana is in the world!" He lifted Mara and spun her around, laughing in glee and kissing Sadira's cheek afterward. The princess stood there shocked. Her niece was born. Zane was now shaking hands with Ulyesses, causing a pain to swell in her chest; Ulyesses had never gotten to met his own babe. _Leave it to you, your sister gave birth and all you can think about is him_.

Mara went to pat Zane's shoulder, but froze mid-reach. Her eyes widened and she snapped her head around. Sadira went to frown but before she could move her muscles, she heard it.

_Twing_

It was the unmistakable sound of a bow. Mara grabbed Zane and with all her might shoved him toward Ulyesses, an arrow lodging in her chest. A scream went off. Ulyesses saw his sister standing by the stall as he caught his mother before she fell, instantly covered in her blood. Sadira was frozen and Zane was instantly surrounded by flight and palace guard members.

"No! Let me through! Mama!" the hawk heard screams and looked up to see a mortified Araie, Aiden right behind her. Suddenly, Sadira was grabbed by a palace guard and pulled behind the others so she was protected. No one saw where the arrow came from. Everyone, except Ulyesses, who was staring into the cold blue gaze of the bastard who was now smirking.

Araie pushed past the crowd, bawling and trying to escape Aiden's protective grasp. She fell onto her knees next to Ulyesses, who held their now dead mother. "Mama!" She sobbed and clenched at her mother's dress, begging for some miracle that her mother was still alive... making this a terrible dream. Aiden reached Araie's side, trying to protect her from the panic around them.

Ulyesses stood up sharply and grabbed Aiden's collar ruffly. Growling with menace, "Give me both of your swords." Ulyesses's eyes where full of pain and hate and Sorrell felt that argueing with the blood covered man would be most idiotic. Aiden unshealthed both swords and held them out toward the serpent who was impatiently waiting.

"Esses...why mama?" Araie sobbed by her mother's body. "The war is over...why?"

Ulyesses kept his gaze forward and hissed at Sorrell: "Stay with her." Then he stalked forward, intent on the kill as his animal counter-part would be, eyes blazing and knuckles white from his grip on the swords. The bastard, he'd kill him. He'd kill them all. Ulyesses began to run at full speed, picking up the familiar scent of his prey. Why his mother? Why the only woman he could trust? Why her? He spotted the fleeing serpent and ignored gasps and yells from the observing crowd.

"Ailbhe! Come back you fucking bastard!" He yelled, twirling his swords before running up a stall and jumping from the counter, onto the fleeing back of Ailbhe. They landed with a thud and fought a bit before Ulyesses rolled gracefully onto his feet and hissed at Ailbhe, who mirrored his stance. "Traitor!" Ulyesses swung his swords at Ailbhe, who barely dodged the sword and steadied himself.

"Last I heard your family was no longer royal. My aim wasn't towards Mara you know." the viper sneered. Ailbhe reached behind his back and pulled his staff out of its sheath.

Ulyesses let his scales slide over his skin, his eyes glowed an icy cold. Blue eyes flickered when he saw Sadira and Araie run through the now gathered crowd, soldiers following them. Sorrell was calling out for Araie to stop and wait, to not leave his side, but his calls landed on deaf ears. She refused to listen. Sadira stopped quickly at the edge of the crowd, putting her front seat to the action. Zane appeared next to her, half changed and eyes smoldering.

"Princess! Get back." Rei came up next to her and grabbed her arm. Zane put his hand on the crow's, shaking his head. The cobra took Sadira by the shoulders and lead her to the middle of the circle, Rei on the other side, ready for anything that might hurt the royal pair.

"Sadira, in place of your sister, what verdict do you give this murderer?" Zane said in a cool, monotone. A tone he took when his anger was over flowing. Sadira made eye contact with Ulyesses, who's muscles bulged and twitched with anticipation. The war was over, why was killing still going on? Why did blood need to be shed like this? Then again, there was a well loved woman, dead, because she saved a new father from death. A woman she had felt treated her more like a daughter than a royal; a woman that had kept Ulyesses alive after Sisal's death. What if it had been her mother?

"Death," Sadira swallowed tears, "His sentence is death for conspiracy for murder against the Alistair and Diente, and murder for Mara Opries." She nodded mutely toward Ulyesses as Zane escorted her back to the sidelines, both being flanked instantly with guards.

Ulyesses didn't need to be told twice as he raised his swords and brought them down at full speed with a mighty cry. Ailbhe dodged and swung at Ulyesses's legs with full force, a blow that would break bones. Ulyesses shifted quickly enough to barely miss the blow, but when he shifted back the sharp end of the staff cut his cheek all the way to his lip. Araie cried out as Aiden pulled her to his chest.

"He's ok, he's strong remember?" He tried to reassure her. Sadira listened but still watched in fear. Both were skilled fighters and it was a coin toss as to who the winner could be. She felt her chest tighten. She couldn't lose Ulyesses, not now. Not ever.

Ulyesses wiped the blood from his face and sneered at Alibhe, twirling his swords in a display of skill and strength. "Why? Why try to take a father from a daughter. Why take another mother from her children? Your own kind?" Ulyesses began to circle Ailbhe, starting a dance with the other.

Ailbhe pointed his staff at Zane, accusingly, glaring at him. "That bastard took my only family away. A woman who loved him. One that could have lead us to victory. Made those avians our slaves!" With that he spat on the ground. "I would kill your mother again and again if it meant succeeding my goal!" Ailbhe lunged at Ulyesses, knocking both of them on the ground, Ulyesses lost his blades. Ailbhe unsheathed his blade from his thigh and tried to slit Ulyesses's throat, but the bigger man had a hold on his wrist preventing him from cutting flesh.

"I should have killed you when you laid a hand on my sister," Ulyesses growled out between his teeth.

"She wasn't even worth it. She's a filthy-" The wet sound of skin being pierced rang through the air, both men froze. Blood began to dribble from Ailbhe's mouth as he choked on it. An arrow was clean through Ailbhe's chest; the same place it with Mara. Ulyesses rolled Ailbhe off of him and looked to see Araie standing perfectly still with an avian bow. She lowered the bow as tears ran down her face. Sorrell hadn't even moved to remove the bow from her grasp.

Sadira ran from the crowd and kneeled next to Ulyesses, turning his head to get a look at the cut. He hissed inwardly. Damn it hurt. "Will it scar?" She asked quietly, holding his face in her delicate hands. He smiled, but it was not a happy one. Instead it looked unnatural and frightening and Sadira had to fight the urge to move away from him.

"My mother is dead and your asking if it will scar? If it does, it'll be the least of my concerns." He stood up, yanking his face from her grasp and walked past her to the now bawling Araie, who was tucked into Sorrell's arms.

Sorrell looked up with a solemn expression and went to speak, but Ulyesses reached for the pair and yanked Araie out of Aiden's arm. Araie stumbled back into Rei and Ulyesses stuck his face in Aiden's, ignoring the crowd and protests from Araie. "Touch her again and I will kill you," he seethed, his body as tense as it was when he had fought.

Aiden glowered back, speaking with just a much venom. "She isn't a child."

Ulyesses spat on the ground, "The hell she isn't."

"Only because you treat her so!" Aiden growled. He was frustrated. "I would never hurt her. I love her," Aiden said cooly, ignoring the gasps and looks from the crowd and other Flight members.

Ulyesses went to hit him but it was caught by Zane and Rei who dragged him back several feet from Aiden, who being restricted by another set of soldiers. "You shouldn't be fighting, not when someone needs you so desperately," Zane looked at Araie, "Not only that you know injuring a fellow Flight or guard member is considered an offense and instant removal from your charge."

Ulyesses's eyes burned like a blue flame at Aiden. He nodded his head in understanding and he jerked himself out of their grasps. Aiden scoffed and shook his head, if anything he kept Araie as safe as he could, so why would Ulyesses try to come after him?

Ulyesses avoided the crowd's pressuring gazes and whispers. He was still covered in his mother's blood and his face was covered in silent tears, some reaching his wound on his face, stinging and burning him. But it didn't faze him. He didn't care about his wounds, he didn't care what the people were whispering or what they would think. He only cared about his sister and getting to his mother's body. Before he could reach his sister, Zane grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"I'll have Mara's body carried to be cleaned and prepared for burial, in the tombs of my family. It's the least I can do." Zane closed his eyes and swallowed. He had lost a good friend the same day his beautiful child had been brought into the world. His mother had always said that when one life came into the world another left it, but this had been his mother's friend, his second mother, a good woman. "She will be sorely missed my friend, now take your sister to the palace and stay there, for protection."

Ulyesses didn't meet his gaze, but nodded in acknowledgement. Zane meant well, but the kindness wouldn't be returned at this moment. Not when another piece of his world had been chipped away.

* * *

Sadira looked down at the resignation letter in shock, she shouldn't have been though. The aftermath of Mara's death was terrible for the Opries siblings. Araie refused to talk to Ulyesses after he had attacked Aiden, and Ulyesses was avoiding her. She hadn't seen him in the 2 days that they had been staying at the Keep and her eyes ached for the sight of him.

_You are being weak and selfish, leave him alone. _But no matter how hard she tried to convience herself that he needed time, she couldn't help but wish she could be by his side in this dark hour. But this... it was offical, he was leaving her.

"He requests a small audiance with you later today, after the Tuuli Thea and yourself move princess Oliza to her nursey," the little sparrow said in the worst monotone voice that had ever reached her hawk ears.

Danica refused to let others move her child to her new home, she wanted to herself along with Sadira and Nacola, as it was a longstanding tradition in their family.

"Yes. Thank you," she set down the letter using every ounce of her reserve to hold onto her sanity, "but my sister is not moving Oliza till tomorrow. So when you see Opries please inform him to come to the conference hall. You may go." She turned her chair away from the door towards the window.

"Yes milady Shardae." She winced at the milady comment and was pleased to hear the door shut softly.

Sadira could not, no matter how she tried, erase images from three days ago. The arrow going through Mara's chest, the blood, Ulyesses catching his mother's body, Araie's horrified face...It was all so teribble and traumatic. The avian princess had to cover her face and take a deep breath. The war was over so why was there blood still being shed? Not just any blood but an innocent woman's? And Ulyesses...the thought made her heart break. He didn't want her, and she let it go, not fighting like should have but now he would be leaving her forever. Well not forever, it wasn't like she couldn't go into the market and see him. Yet not having him by her side to tell her right from wrong made her heart break all the more, even if it was how a hatchling was treated.

"Shardae." She leaped up out of her chair and turned toward the voice, shocked she hadn't heard the door. What she saw made her sigh, his hair was in a large state of dismay. His blue eyes had bags and heartbreakingly lifeless. Ulyesses looked like a different man.

"Ulyesses," she nodded and then touched the letter on the table. "Your letter-"

"I wished to be released as soon as possible," he said in a sharp tone, "Rei and Zane has signed, all that's left is you." He set down his uniform, Sadira didn't see him carrying it before. She didn't know what to say to him. She was so lost and now she was losing yet another loved one.

She sat back down in the chair and swallowed. "So I guess the stall will reopen soon? I miss Araie's bread twists," she had picked up the pen and lifted it toward the paper.

"We're leaving. For good this time."

She froze. Gone, truly forever. "No. You can't," she stood up quickly. "What about Araie? She has friends and Aiden-"

"That bastard better stay away from her," his jaw clenched.

The hawk shook her head furiously. "Why? He loves her. You should be happy someone would treat her with such love and respect," her fists clenched with disbelief.

He scoffed and looked her in the eyes, "Admit it, this has nothing to do with Araie."

Looking away in shame, her heart beat against her ribs madly. "Is it because of what happened between us? Why else would you leave here?" she tried to keep her emotions down, the anger and betrayal fighting for dominace over her reserve.

Ulyesses shook his head, sending strands of red into his face. She wanted desperatly to brush them away. "Sadira, if I could take it back I would-" She crossed the room in record speed and slapped him with all her strength on his injured cheek He rewarded her with a hiss.

"Bastard!" She hit his chest. "Why are you doing this? Why do you pain me when all I've ever done is try to be good enough for you!" She covered her face when the tears threatened. "I miss Mara too, but I'm not taking it out on everyone around me. You're wrong though, it has nothing to do with you," She looked back up, glaring back into the blue fire that was his eyes with her own liquid gold.

"Then who is this about Sadira? I fucked up, I took you. I can't change that, I can only say that I am sorry." He went to touch her but dropped his hands.

She tensed and let all of her reserve disappear, "That's what hurts. Is that you're sorry." She had hoped to pain him as he pained her, instead he sighed.

"It wasn't mine to take," He reached up and finally touched her cheek, running his knuckles over it tenderly. Despite the situation, she leaned into the touch, savoring the feeling as she had longed to. "I cannot be who you want me to be, now or ever. I can't love you," he finally whispered.

Sadira stepped away from his touch numbly and picked up a pen, signing the paper quickly. "I know, you've informed me of this," she held out the paper to him, "and I already told you my feelings. Now go, nothing I say is important to your decision."

His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned. Taking the paper, he bowed his head, "Shardae."

"Save it," She laughed bitterly, "You know how much I loath the title. Go." He turned quickly and walked briskly to the door, slamming it shut as the sounds echoed through the hall. Ulyesses and Araie were now out of her reach, forever.

* * *

**Woo...wrote this twice and it didn't save! Sorry for the lateness! I want to hear predictions for upcoming chapters!**


	9. Unbelievable

**Hola! Not many reviews...but we must go on! Btw, teasers are for those who review only! And there will be none for this chapter, sporry :(**

**-Jane**

* * *

His mouth was on her hot skin, his hands were all over her body, pushing her against him. She clung to him, her breathing quickening with each touch. His fingers settled in her hair as his mouth attacked her's, pressing her harder into the bed when she mewled in surprise, male dominance surging through him. He broke away, staring down at his golden princess as she shook and arched toward him, dying to be closer.

Her skin was flushed and what was exposed to his eyes was covered in goose bumps from the light touches he imposed on her body. Her silk like hair sprawled out around the pillows and sheets while her eyes burned with lust. "Gods Sadira, your so demanding." He teased her, nibbling on her collar bone.

"Bastard..." She whimpered. It sounded almost affectionate and she was craving for him again. "Please." She gasped. "Ulyesses." She held him tight to her, pressing her chest to his making him growl deep in his body. "Please..."

_Please..._

* * *

Ulyesses's eyes shot open and he looked around the room, praying that it wasn't a dream. His eyes settle on the cold empty space beside him... she wasn't there. "Damn it," he couldn't make it a hiss, his heart ached from the realization. For the past few weeks the dreams had started, and every night he woke up alone; he had relived their night together, watching her cry for his loss, dancing fearlessly on the dias, dualing Sorrel, and the look of betray in her eyes as he tried to detach himself from her.

"Stupid avian princess," his voice cracked, "Damn you, I was done with love. Done with everything but my family. Damn you for ruining everything. I made my choice and left... so why can't you stop tormenting me?" Three months... three long months. Ulyesses still couldn't forget Sadira; he had managed to lie to everyone else and make them believe it was only lust that he had felt for her, he had even convinced her... but he couldn't make himself believe. Not since the dreams had started.

Dawn tried to creep past the heavy curtains, tiny slivers of light told him that he was to start another long day. He pushed all thoughts of her to the back of his mind, he had to or else he would have gone back long ago. It would never work though, she probably hated him... even so she was still avian and a princess which meant it never would work... He needed to go into the market, find something to keep his nights dreamless, or knock him out. Araie had managed to get back at him by finding all his alcohol and stealing it so he needed something more discrete.

Anything to get those golden eyes out of his head.

* * *

"What?" Sadira winced. There had been a reason she had pulled her sister into her room to talk privately... she knew this wouldn't go well. "What in the skies name were you thinking?" It was safe to say that Danica was a bit more than furious, her hair whipped around her face as she paced the balconey like a hungry tiger.

Sadira shook her head and sighed, "A night of solice... love-"

"You wait until you are married! Or a match has been set up for you! You don't try to appease to the sanity of a drunken man twice your size and older than you! I'm going to take this up with Zane, he never should have laid his hands on you," Danica was furious as she stalked to the door.

"NO!" Sadira ran in front of the door, golden wings unfurled to create a barrier between them. "_I _came onto _him._ It was all my fault; so don't bring him into this... I don't want him to know." Tears started to well up in her solemn eyes at the knowledge that he would never know.

The Tuuli Thea sighed at seeing her sister's pain, "This is going to remain a secret for long. You're going to start to show and then everyone is going to start talking, all the gossip will eventually reach Ulyesses's ears."

"He doesn't want this baby... not when he doesn't even want me," that was it, Sadira was bawling... again. She had over heard him talking to his mother... he was afraid that she might carry; and that she did. Sadira hadn't wanted to believe it, sorrow overcame the small happiness. Sorrow of the unwilling father of her babe, what would she tell it? What would she tell him if he ever came looking for his child? What if he wanted to take it from her?

Danica couldn't be mad anymore, not when she looked upon her broken sister. Truth was she was already starting to show, her shirt tighter than it should have been. "Still, I have to let Zane know... maybe he might be able to calm you more than I, knowing him better. Maybe he'll even be able to break it better to him-"

"Break what?" The golden locks not up in Sadira's messy bun fell over her shoulders as her head snapped up.

Danica had to use her reserve to be able to tell her sister this. "You two are going to have to marry-"

"No," the princess looked horrified.

"To keep from a scandal," Danica continued regardless. "I thought you loved him?" she asked.

"I do, but I will refuse a marriage if he doesn't love me. I won't live my life out with a man who cares not about me..."

"You have no choice, what happens when mother finds out? What will happen to the name Shardae when our people find that our avian princess had a one night stand with a former palace guard that is much older than you? Think about his name." Sadira hung her head. Damn her sister for being right, for being more responsible than she was. Sadira shook her head. "I know Dani, but..." She sighed.

Danica felt sorrow for her sister. But it was best. "I'm sending for him Sadira. Prepare for his arrival." Danica brushed past her sister gently and excused herself from the room.

She hated doing this to her own sister, but it was best for all parties involved. What was worse was that it was Ulyesses's child and her mother had formed a terrible grudge against the man. She feared war of a new kind.

* * *

Araie huffed and a strand of fiery red hair flew up and floated down back into her face. It had grown longer and was now in longer waves down her back and she refused to brush out the tangles and leaves as Ulyesses demanded that she do so. She would never listen to him again.

3 months...she shook her head and headed back into the clearing, naked as the day she had escaped her mother's womb. She watched the sunlight hit the forrest floor in delicate rays through the canopy the trees created. She heard the birds sing and the occasional raven's caw. This had become her sanctuary since Ulyesses had pried her away from the Serpiente and Avian courts; away from Aiden.

Aiden.

She felt her heart clench once again. She didn't even get to say good bye to him and how she missed him so. She had left clues of her where abouts. Started rumors in the wolf's market and hoped they would reach his ears, but she had not seen any thing from him.

"Perhaps he doesn't want me anymore..." She whispered to the breeze blown trees.

What made her pain more worse was that her mother was gone. Since Mara's death Araie rarely spoke to any one unless it was to spread rumors and rude replies to Ulyesses.

Ulyesses wanted nothing more to do with beings of any sort, but they had resided amongst wolves several days away from the Serpiente court, even longer from the Keep. But she could see it in his eyes. He missed Sadira. He even spoke her name in his sleep and it took all of Araie not to go find a heavy stick and beat him with it.

"Idiot..." She mumbled under her breath and she flopped onto the forrest floor, bathing in a beam of light.

* * *

Ah the miserable sun.

It always woke him from his dreams and now it threatened to melt the skin off of him. The uniform didn't help the situation any more. Aiden had found less reasons to smile since Araie was ripped from him.

Why would he smile when all his reasons were now far away from him and to never return?

When he had found Sadira in tears holding Ulyesses's resignation forms and told him they had left forever, Aiden acted like a mad man. He turned over the stall, then the market place, and finally their home. Nothing. Nothing was left behind except for a little ring he knew belonged to Araie. He wore it on a chain that now held the little ring in place on his chest under the uniform he wore.

He would find her. He had too.

Just as he thought the heat could not cause him any more suffering, a shadow cast over him and gold flashed before him before his Tuuli Thea straightened up and looked at him.

"Sorrell." She spoke calmly but he could see some fear in her eyes.

"Lady Tuuli Thea, what is the matter?" Aiden moved into the shade of a stall and ushered his queen in. She shook her head, frowning only a bit before speaking.

"We need to speak Sorrell. In solitude. I need your help."

* * *

Ulyesses walked around the shops in the Wolf Court, ignoring offers and the occasional bumping into another. He hated it here. Usually wolves were nomads but occasionally there were packs that stayed in one place and made a market place, but when they did they only created a place of chaos. The main alpha here didn't care much for order. People ran about, thievery was plentiful and things being sold here was close to black marketing. But it was away from Sadira and the new Wyvern's Court. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. All he needed was to forget her.

"Esses!" He turned to see red curls bobbing threw the crowd, dodging every person in her way.

"Esses!" His sister cried, sounding afraid. He tensed and watched as she pushed through two men and fell into her brother who caught her.

"Araie what is-" He looked down at the flushed girl. "Its Zane! Zane is at the house!" She exclaimed. "I just saw him, I don't know who else is there." She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. Hopefully Zane would tell Ulyesses that the move was foolish and he'd drag him back.

Ulyesses followed his sister quickly. What was the Diente doing here? How did he find him? He pushed the thoughts away as he and Araie burst into a run. Ulyesses surpassed his sister and burst into the house, ready for anything. Zane, Danica, Rei, Erica, and Aiden stood in the small living space, looking at him the same way.

Araie pushed past her brother and stopped when she saw Aiden standing there. She felt her heart pick up speed and she thought she would fall over.

Aiden's eyes went directly to Araie's green eyes. She looked even more beautiful and Aiden didn't think it was possible. Her curls where longer and her usual pale alabaster skin had become sun kissed. Before he could react she was across the room and she flung herself into his arms. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him.

"Araie." Ulyesses growled.

"Hush Esses." She glared at him and took Aiden's hand. "You cannot control me." Ulyesses went to speak but was interupted.

"I on the other hand can." Danica spoke up, stepping forward and in front of Ulyesses. "The hell you do." He seethed. Damn those birds! He was doing fine with out them. "She can." Zane stood next to his mate. "And you _will_ listen." Ulyesses glared at Zane.

How dare they ruin his peace. Well the peace he tried to create.

Danica looked Ulyesses, the emotion in her eyes made Ulyesses tense. This was serious. "I am here for my sister. The one you abandoned." She spoke with malice. The hawk queen was angry and she didn't use her reserve to hide it. Aiden's glare at the snake intensified.

The bastard would pay for taking Araie away and for what he did to Sadira.

"I resigned, she signed the papers, I didn't not abandon any one." He spoke just as angrily with her. How dare she assume he abandoned Sadira. He left to protect his sister and to heal from losing his mother.

"Oh? Well if not her your child was most defiantly abandoned." Danica raised her chin.

Araie gasped and looked at Ulyesses. How dare he...how dare he be a hypocrite! She released Aiden's hold on her and stalked over to her brother and smacking him across the face. He was stunned by Danica's comment and barely felt the pain from the blow.

"How dare you!" Araie hit his chest. "You deny me my right to take Aiden as my mate but its alright for you to impregnate the Avian princess?" She was seething at her older brother. Why would he do this to her? Aiden grabbed Araie's arm and pulled her to him, seeing as her brother was frozen solid and feared that she would kill him. He actually wouldn't mind that...

"I hate you! All you have ever done since you've come back from the war is mope and drag mother and I down with you! You ruined everything!" Araie bolted from the house and past a broken Ulyesses. Rei nodded at Aiden and the raven followed Araie quickly so she would not do something drastic.

Danica sighed and approached Ulyesses again. He was trembling slightly from anger and his eyes burned like blue fires. "Ulyesses. I am protecting my sister. I have come with an ultimatum. Either you marry Sadira and father the child or I will have you executed for rape." She stared into his glare unafraid.

Zane's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Dani-" "Zane. My 18 year old sister is pregnant with this man who is 9 years her senior. He should have never laid a hand on her." She looked at Ulyesses. "Its up to him now."

"This is bullshit! She came to me and offered herself! That is not rape!" Ulyesses had never felt so angry in his life.

"In my society, there is no difference." Danica clenched her jaw.

Ulyesses couldn't believe it. A child...he left Sadira with child? Why didn't she try and tell him? Why didn't she find him herself? "I want to talk to Sadira before any decision is made." He said with as much calm as he could.

Danica inhaled deeply and nodded to Rei and Erica. "Put him under arrest until then." Both guards nodded and advanced towards Ulyesses, taking his arms in strong grips. He didn't resist arrest, only sending a look towards Zane, lonely blue meeting smoldering red.

"Danica. I know Sadira is your sister, but Ulyesses is my brother. You are crossing boundaries." Zane spoke calmly. Danica turned on her mate shocked but the look of disappointment on his face made her silence herself and look away.

"What of my sister?" Ulyesses looked to the door and back at the arguing pair. Zane approached the trio and nodded the guards away, but not before they glanced at each other and their Tuuli Thea before doing so. "I will handle this. Please escort the Tuuli Thea back to court to prepare her sister." Zane looked at Danica before turning toward Ulyesses. Danica turned and left before her guards, fuming about his intervention.

When finally alone, Zane turned toward his childhood friend. "I'm not about to scold you for your actions, we aren't boys anymore and thank Maeve that I'm not your mother, but it wasn't smart." He wasn't surprised when this didn't generate a reaction from the other serpiente. "I have no doubt that if you refuse, there will be too many avians calling for action that even Danica would not be able to quiet them... especially since I know she herself would want you to suffer in compensation."

"I told you, she-"

Zane quieted him with a hiss, "It's too late to point fingers, right now the avian princess is pregnant with your child. You've moped about for the past several years about how you failed my sister and her babe, will you simply not even try with Sadira? Abandon them because of the circumstances? If you don't, you leave a child to wonder why its father didn't want to have anything to do with it and be shunned from both societies by being a mixed breed and a bastard. I won't bother explaining what this has already done to Sadira seeing as you don't care. The point is your throwing away your second chance."

Ulyesses swallowed. "I had no intentions of walking away and I do more than care." He looked away. "I left because of the fear of dragging her down. Look at me Zane. My sister and I are the last of a family that was larger than both the Shardae's and Cobrianas. I left for Araie and Sadira sake. To finally man up and protect what I love the most." He sneered. "But the fact that I find I am to be a father again and not from the mother's mouth, I feel like I was betrayed." Zane nodded. "But you will marry her, will you not?" Ulyesses clenched his eyes shut and then clenched his fist. "Not for any one's sake but my child's." Zane nodded, relieved that Ulyesses was not running away. "A meeting with Sadira will be arranged upon your arrival, as for Araie." Zane looked at the door. "Let her go." Ulyesses shook his head. That damn bird was probably laying hands on her. "That I can not do." "You must because you are losing her. Sorrell is an honorable man, avian yes, but your being a hypocrite. And I have never heard hate from Araie's mouth ever." "When my sister left, she became a whole other girl." "She'll come back."

"Perhaps," Ulyesses wasn't really sure if he believed that.

* * *

"I can't believe him!"

"I know yo-"

"After everything-.. he- I-, UGH!" Araie had been fuming the past half hour, Aiden didn't mind at all. She was with him. What else could matter? "Sorry... for the seventh time..." once agains she seemed gunniuenly upset about her rant.

The raven chuckled, "I could care less, vent away if you should need. After three months I would gladly listen to you curse the heavens all day." A becoming blush had settled on her cheeks, in no way did it match her hair but it was gorgeous nonetheless.

"Aiden?"

"Hmm?" expected to meet her green eyes, instead they lay on his neck.

"What is this?" his own flush appeared as she pulled the chain from beneath his shirt. Shock crossed her face as she spotted the ring. "This is-"

"Yes," now his cheeks were the same color as those beautiful locks. "It was the only thing I had left of you. Skies be damned if I didn't keep it."

She shifted slightly from her spot on the ground. She had ran to her clearing, Aiden following her closing and sitting next to her on the moss covered ground. She was so angry that she had ranted to long. But what had her baffled was how much Aiden had missed her.

"I left you signs." She moved in between his knees, fidgeting with her ring on the chain. His body heat surrounded her. He sighed.

"I heard things but serpents spread untrue rumors all the time." He looked up into the emerald gems he adored. They stared back into his hazel gaze, emotions stirring.

"I thought-" He interrupted her, cupping her face with his hands. "Araie, I would have traveled years to find you, a life time. You are...too precious to lose." The last part turned into a whisper. "I went insane when you left. I searched every part of the court. All 3 of them. I never gave up on you."

She clenched her eyes shut. "Ulyesses-"

Aiden scoffed. "Do you think he'll be trying to tell you what to do with your life after this? He'll be on edge, to busy to try and stop us and if he did, I'd deal with it." He let go of her face and leaned back.

"I don't know what I should do." Her eyes traveled around the clearing. "I am scared..."

Aiden felt his heart flutter. She could be taken away again or perish with her brother and the thought tore Aiden's heart. Now was an appropriate time. "Come with me. Live in my home, you are welcomed to it and my bed." He winced slightly at the last part.

Araie was speechless. He had basically told her to become his mate and share a home with him. She bit her lip. Aiden watched her knaw on her bottom lip, his nerves scared that he had said to much. He shook his head. "You do not have to-"

"I want to." She said quietly, leaning forward and her red curls cascaded over her shoulders. "But I want to hear you say it."

Aiden knew what she wanted to hear but his tongue felt too heavy for words. It seemed unreal to him, this beautiful girl that sat in between his legs wanting what he also desired. He had prayed to Alisdair for years for this moment. "Araie, become my mate because... I love you."

* * *

** Ello loverlies, so yes, Ulyesses and Sadira are having a baby. I want to know what gender and name you'd like for the wee one. Happy Easter! **

**Chao!**


	10. Ultimatium

**Hey hey, hey! So I know the baby t hing was off for some of you guys, but its ok, all the better for drama and more fights, muhahahahaha! Anyway, hope to see more reviews this chapter! Chao!**

**Jane**

* * *

"Damn you! Damn you and all your friends!" Araie screeched as a few mice ran across the floor; her attempts at hitting them with a broom was futile. "Go away!"

When Aiden and her made it back to Wyvern's court, they wasted no time in trying to fix a stall, but it had mice and Araie had more than hatred for mice. She squealed again and ran outside of the stall, clenching her broom to her chest. "Aiden! They're bringing reinforcements!"

Aiden peeked around the corner, nails in his mouth and a hammer in his hand. "What?" He muffled and looked at what she was screaming about. The little family of mice sat in the corner, obviously spooked and frightened. "Ah." He took the nails out of his mouth. " We have visitors."

"Ewww..." Araie hide behind Aiden, scales sliding over her skin. Aiden walked into the stall and slowly hushed the mice out the door, making Araie scamper backwards. "There. They were nothing but harmless mice." Aiden smiled at Araie. She was so adorable when she was afraid. He cupped her face and tenderly kissed her forehead, chuckling when she relaxed and leaned into the touch.

"Mice are a threat to my existence." She mumbled.

"Well, then they can't come into the stall anymore because I want you to exist for a long time." Aiden smiled and the stuck the nails back in his mouth and turned to what he was doing. She smiled and played with her fingers looking at the stall. This was her new life. Soon she was going to see her new home and become Aiden's mate. She took a deep breath. She was so nervous.

* * *

The ride back to the Keep was not a pleasant one. Ulyesses managed to keep himself together but the anger and betrayal where bubbling up inside. Being a father again...now he wasn't sure how to feel. Joy obviously but this wasn't just any child. It was a Shardae. Royalty. His enemies royalty. But thinking about Sadira, it only made him angry.

When they arrived Danica and the Royal Flight where waiting, Oliza in Danica's arms. "She is in her room. I wanted several guards in there with you but she insists you two be alone." Danica keep from glaring at him, but it was difficult. She kept her gaze away from Zane and held Oliza closer to her.

Zane nodded to the guards. "Please escort him to her." Ulyesses sent one look to Zane before following the guards to the avian princess's room. Walking was difficult. What if she still hated him? What would happen now? He clenched his muscles. Damn bird woman.

The guards stopped at a large staircase, probably the only one in the keep. He looked up it and sighed. He was going to give her a peice of his mind.

"Up the stair case and all the way down the hall. If we even think we hear a scream, we will be up there, and we will kill you." One of the guards glared at him before turning and leaving him be. Ulyesses looked up the stair case again.

"Not if I kill myself first."

* * *

Sadira sat in a chair in her living quarters. She had lifted up her shirt and stared at her stomach, expecting something to happen. "Your father and I...we don't get along." She stroked her stomach gently. "I don't know how it even happened...but I love him so much...he left us, now he's coming back and I am so sorry, but you will hear yelling, and knowing your father, swear words." She sighed.

"And there is a few I would like to say right now, if her 'highness' permits it." She stood up quickly, pulling her shirt down and staring at door where the voice came from. He didn't look like Ulyesses, but she knew it was him by the nasty sneer he had on his face. His hair was unkempt, his skin had paled from lack of sun and the bags under his eyes made it clear he didn't sleep well.

"Ulyesses?" She felt shocked. This was not the man she knew.

"No shit." He closed the door and turned the lock. "And all I really want to say to you right now is the hell with you."

She stepped back. Her defenses going up. "Watch yourself."

"The hell I will. Why didn't you tell me." He walked towards her. He moved like an animal stalking his prey.

She tensed up. "You left, why would you care?"

He tensed up and stopped before throwing a chair backwards. "You've pissed me off before, but now Sadira I am so pissed off. Why wouldn't I care? Oh how about its my damn child!"

"Why would you want her if you didn't even want me!" She yelled back. How dare he throw such a tantrum. "Who said that? Did I say I didn't want you? Hm, Sadira?" He threw his arms out in frustration.

"You might as well of!" She clenched her fist. "You rejected me and told me you couldn't love me-"

"You want to know why? My sister and I left because I wanted to protect her and I finally thought I could do right by you and getting out of your life so that maybe you could mate a nice avian and have hawk babies."

She scoffed. "Apparently I'm having your baby and Danica is forcing marriage so looks like your little 'plan' was pointless." She glared at the floor. The brute had no idea how pointless it was.

"Who said I was talking the offer?" He clenched his jaw.

She turned fast, almost to fast and she had to grip her chair so she wouldn't fall. "But-"

He shook his head. "You and that child are better off with out me anyway."

She screetched and pushed the chair over, making a large thud on the floor. "Idiot! Yes, die so that I may raise a child on my own at 18 and suffer at the hands of court! My family and yours are at jeopardy here! Our child's future relies on you! You selfish bastard!" She felt the rush of hormones hit her body and she began to shake uncontrollably. "I need you."

He scoffed gently and looked at the chair on the floor before finally looking into her eyes. "Last time you said that I got you pregnant."

She closed her eyes and looked down, tears forming but she refused to let them fall. "I don't regret it. Nothing has changed." She looked back up at him. "But you need to stay alive, for our child."

He closed his eyes. "I know."

She blinked then frowned deeply. "Then why-"

"We have company." He turned toward the door, a knock assaulting the silence seconds later.

"Sadira, open the door please." It was Danica.

Ulyesses glared at the oak door. "I'm done here anyway, I have nothing to say to you." He turned from her. "Ulyesses, stop!" She screeched. He tensed and turned on her.

"Sadira? What's going on? Open the door!" Someone on the other side began to beat door.

"Give us time!" She yelled back and she crossed the room and shoved a chest in front of the door. She turned back and looked at Ulyesses who was shooting her daggers with his eyes. "This has to stop." She clenched her fists. "Its not helping either of us and is this what our child has to look forward too?"

"It doesn't make it make what was wrong right, Sadira." He looked away. His eyes were full of hurt and anger.

He spoke threw his teeth, his jaw too locked to open. "I can't help how you feel about me, but what I feel is more than hurt. You hid something precious from me."

She held back a sob and shook her head.

"It feels like some one has ripped out my heart and I want to know why."

She let a tear fall. Damn hormones. He looked up at the crying princess. He swallowed and went to move the chest. "Because I wanted to protect you. I warned you, now you have to suffer because I cannot be the man you need me to be. I just wanted to protect you..." He moved the chest and unlocked the door, Danica flying through as soon as it was open.

Danica saw Sadira's tears and looked at Ulyesses. "What did you do?"

He looked at Sadira before meeting the hawk queen's gaze.

"I'm following orders."

* * *

Aiden knew Araie was nervous. He was too. Bringing her to his home had been a big step for the raven. But what made him real nervous was how little she was wearing. It was close to nothing.

She fidgeted under his stare. She wanted to look...well beautiful. She brushed her hair and had it back in elaborate braids and her tiny top and even tinier bottom exposed most of her to him. Aiden shifted on his bed and looked at the candles he had placed around the room, along with the incense and golden melos.

"Um..." She shifted nervously and he blinked.

"Oh." He got up and approached her timidly. How in the skies was a girl intimidating when he had faced many serpiente soldiers? But she did. The trained avian was by no means scared of her, quite the opposite. He had...he just was nervous. What if he didn't meet her expectations? What if he messed up?

"You-.." he started. "I mean, I..." Aiden's face reddened as he became a bit more flustered. "You look nice," if he didn't rush it out then his voice would betray him. It wasn't true though, nice was an understatement. Araie was beautiful... the raven just wasn't used to seeing so much of a women. Even if she was his mate. Mate. A smile came from under the embarressment, touching his eyes and making them shine with pride.

She was his and he hers. It gave him a happiness he never dreamed he could possess.

She saw the love in his eyes and a bit of her nervousness went down. She smiled at him and reached out towards his bare chest, placing her hand over his heart.

"Its fluttering like a baby bird's." She stepped closer.

"I'm nervous." He admitted. "But don't tell any one." He chuckled. Araie, who felt just as nervous, felt the impulse to reach out to the ruffled man before her. Cupping his cheeks in her palms, offering gentle soothing caresses to his flamed face. He met her emerald gaze as he nuzzled one of her palms, gracing a small kiss upon the lily smooth skin. Neither felt compelled to talk; what words could convey their feelings more than this moment? Aiden pulled her to his chest, kissing her forehead, then the tip of her nose, before laying a passionate kiss upon her full lips. There was no longer an avian and serpiente, just two lovers surrendering completely to the other.

She pulled away gasping for air. He stared down at her intently, lust seeping into his gaze as he looked over her now swollen lips. "I love you." She said in a hushed tone.

"And you I love you."

* * *

Irene bounced the grouchy Salem. His resembled his just as irritated uncle who was sitting low in a chair, legs crossed. Irene thought her older brother looked like a child, utterly ridiculous.

Salem whined a squirmed against his mother. Zane rubbed his temple and sighed. "Irene let the poor boy down, your smothering him." He was in such a foul mood.

Irene frowned and let Salem down to waddle around. Her little boy was growing so fast. She scoffed. "Just because your mate denied you your bed for the night does not mean you take it out on me." He stood up and began to pace.

"Its more than that! She threatened our brother with execution! And now he is betrothed to the avian princess who is also carrying his child and Nacola is going to cause an up roar when its announced in two days!" He sighed and crossed his arms. "And his sister and Sorrell are missing and he's taken it out on me."

Irene watched Salem move around. "It has its own course, you can't control it."

"I fear war in the families, and when the families fail to work together, then the seam with rip apart. What Danica and I have worked so hard to make is going to fall apart and it will all return to the war." Zane exhaled, forgetting that it was indeed nessacary to breath.

Irene closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, you and Danica will not let that happen. As for Sadira and the idiot, we have to leave them be."

Zane bent down and picked up his nephew. "I just don't want it to get out of control."

"It won't. Its time for Ulyesses to receive a wake up call."

* * *

**Yay! Finne! So I wrote a smut for Sadira and Ulyesses, called This Night of Solice.**

**REVIEW! Thanks!**


	11. Fact and Fiction

Hello, hello! We're back with a whole new chapter so its time to make it happen! Chao!

* * *

Sadira faced the opposite side of the bed, making sure it was literally impossible to touch the body beside her. Her 'mate'. He did the same to her and glared at the wall. They had a long day, both tired and in extremely foul moods. Danica and Sadira broke the news to Nacola and it had not gone well. Especially since Danica persisted on Ulyesses coming along to introduce himself. Sadira had protested and begged him to stay behind, but he refused and Danica convinced her that it was necessary.

It was not a good idea.

_Earlier that day_.

Sadira's heart was going rapidly, her nerves where wired and her mind raced. Her mother was waiting to hear what her daughters had dragged her away from her alistair for. Ulyesses, after being chased down by Rei and Zane, had come along. He sat, glowering at Danica as she stared forward at her mother, her reserve in full use. Sadira wanted to run.

"Well?" Nacola said in a monotone voice, staring down her daughters, who both casted eachother glances and then at Ulyesses, who raised a brow.

"Sadira and Ulyesses have..." Danica swallowed and then meet her mother's gaze, her reserve wavering only slightly. "Asked my permission to marry." She said slowly, making sure Ulyesses did not give away the lie.

Nacola went taunt. She then turned her angry golden glare at Sadira and Ulyesses. "Is this true Sadira? I hope to the skies that it is not." She said in a low voice.

Oh Alisdair...Sadira felt herself begin to panic, but she nodded calmly. "Yes mother, it is." She reached out and touched Ulyesses hand, which was unresponsive. She want to claw him but now was not the time.

"This is outrageous! I did not even know they were courting!" Nacola turned on Danica. "How could you allow it?"

"Mother i-" Danica went to defend herself before Ulyesses sat up.

"Because your daughter is pregnant with my child." He yanked his hand from underneath Sadira's warm one. "There was no courtship and we're only doing this because the Shardae name is in jeopardy.

Nacola stared at him and took deep breaths. Danica and Sadira stared at him in complete horror, both unable to talk. Nacola sneered. "I don't know what kind of joke that is but it is not humorous." She looked at Sadira. "This is a joke." It was said more like a statement instead of a question as if she was trying to convince herself it wasn't true.

Sadira sighed. "I'm sorry mother." Nacola's eyes turned cold. So cold. Danica reached under the table and grabbed Sadira's arm. How could he betray Sadira like that? Danica wanted to yell at him but now was not the time. Nacola was breaking.

"Get out, both of you and do not come near me again." Nacola stood and looked at both Sadira and Ulyesses.

Sadira stood as well, her mouth agape and eyes wide. This was so unlike Nacola; she was cold and calculating, but she was not cruel. "But mother..."

"How dare you! How dare you betray your family! Your people, me!" Nacola furiously hissed. "Only a harlot would do such a thing!" Danica's reserve broke only to let her cover her mouth in outrage. Her mother was not taking this well at all.

Ulyesses tensed and stood up slowly, pushing Sadira back a little bit in a protective notion. "Mother, do not say such things-" Danica snapped.

"Hush, you maybe the Tuuli Thea, but I am her mother!" Nacola pointed at Ulyesses. "And you allowed this man to lay his filthy hands on you like a common whore." Ulyesses hit the table and glared at the former hawk queen.

"You may call me what ever you please but you will never call my mate a harlot. She is not one, I will not allow it from anyone, including her own mother." He said through clenched teeth. Sadira looked up at him in confusion. Wasn't he just opposed to this as her mother was? Danica pulled her back more and kept her hands on her sister's shoulders.

"Mate? Hardly." Nacola scoffed. "Maybe I am wrong and you forced her under you." She said haughtly. Nacola's reaction to the news was unexpected and so unlike her. But she couldn't understand or grasp the fact that her daughter was expecting; with her former serpiente guard. She already lost one daughter to the grasp of the serpiente, she did not want to accept that she was losing her last, the only hope they had to continue the Shardae name.

The guards that had been watching from the side tensed and readied themselves. They had seen Ulyesses fight and he could kill their former Tuuli Thea in mere seconds if he tried. Ulyesses clenched his jaw and fists, his scales taking over skin and venom filled his fangs. Oh he was tempted.

"No." Sadira grabbed his arm. "Mother I was willing, I went to him. Because I love him." She tried to pull Ulyesses back with her and Dancia but he didn't even budge.

"Get out." Nacola shook her head. "Leave, I don't want to see you for an extended time." She turned away and covered her face. Sadira held back the tears and turned away, walking towards the door, her heart filled with shame.

"Your despicable." Ulyesses spat before following Sadira out the door. Danica swallowed and then proceeded to leave. Leaving her mother alone.

_Later that day_

Sadira sat in her living quarters, staring forward. She was so heartbroken that she couldn't bring herself to even take a relaxing bath, like Ulyesses was. Well he wasn't relaxing as just doing a necessity. Maybe it was to be further away from her.

After the meeting he had gone back to giving her the cold shoulder and pretending he didn't have to deal with Danica's glares.

It hurt but it had only been 2 days since he arrived back and no one had seen Sorrel or Araie. He was not even close to being level headed.

Sadira sighed and rubbed her stomach, noticing that her sister was right, she was beginning to show, her little one grew like a weed. Sadira wondered what her child would look like and she assumed it was female but then again she was expecting from a man who's family she heard was male dominate. She hoped for the red hair, like Araie. Araie was a beautiful girl, so if her child looked anything like her Sadira would be content. Even her own sister. Strong yet elegant. If it was male on the other hand, she defiantly wanted him to take after his father. Tall, strong, but not as rude or stubborn. More gracious.

The sound of the wash room's door opening snapped her from her thoughts and she looked up to see an half naked Ulyesses standing there staring back at her as if he had something to say. When he didn't say anything he walk over to the balcony and opened the doors and stood in the sun. Her alisdair was beautiful. She would never tell him that but he looked like a sculpture or even a painting. Almost flawless. And the flaws he did have only made him that much more attractive.

"Quit staring." His eyes flickered toward her. "Its rude."

She scoffed and rubbed her stomach once more before standing and giving him a good glare. "You would know because the only things you know how to do are be mean and rude." She walked into the wash room and closed the door before he could respond. Why did he have to ruin the moment?

_Present_

She felt a sob try to escape but she took a deep breath and put up her reserve. She refused to let him tear her apart like he did in his absence. She would remain strong.

* * *

Araie opened the shop. Everything was in place, all the breads and pastries were presented like her mother used to put them out. Her mother. Araie used to call her crazy but in reality she was the only thing that kept getting Araie up in the morning, that and the sun. She missed her mother dearly. Her father too. It had been many years but her father was a very kind man, strong, but kind and he would have never let anyone hurt his family. She also missed Sidda, her long lost sister; Baven as well, he was a good brother. He alway stole sweets for her, all her siblings...even Ulyesses. But she would never forgive him for what he did. Deny her of her happiness and then go behind her back and use Sadira.

"It looks good, you've done well." She turned to see her mate standing there in uniform. He smiled at her and she rushed over and threw her arms around his neck.

"Good morning, you almost missed the sun rise." She gave him a chaste kiss and then stepped away.

"Well I noticed when my beautiful mate was gone so I went looking. You ready?" He looked around. "I think so. I was just thinking about mama..." She sighed. "I miss her."

"I know love. She would be proud." He reassured her. She smiled. The past 2 days had been spent in bed with him. Minimal clothing involved. Not that he minded. She smirked and eyed him. She had almost forgot he was an avain, the way he was touching her.

"Well I must report for duty. Rei is with Erica. She is in labor." He kissed the tip of her nose and brushed by her.

"I do love a man in uniform." She giggled.

He winked as he left the stall. She sighed and looked around. She hoped she could do this. She had too.

* * *

"Why would she do this? I don't understand Irene. Sadira is her daughter as much as I am! Why would she say she is a whore?" Danica paced.

Not able to bring this to her own mate as she was still upset with him and had yet to resolved their disagreement. The only ones able to talk to her were Irene and Galen. Galen held a sleeping Salem, too tuckered out from his play date with another child. Danica admired Salem and even her own daughter. They could sleep easily and not have to worry about the troubles of adulthood. No worries at all. Except when they would miss a meal or nap.

"She is in shock. Its not the same as you and Zane." Irene shook her head and waved her hand in the air, as if it helped her point.

"But she is right. Her mother called Sadira a harlot. But Irene is also right Danica; this is a totally different situation than you and Zane." Galen said in a stern tone. He was always known for being some type of negotiator and was more resonable than the 2 women in the room.

"Yes but..." Danica stopped her pacing and sat slowly in a chair next to Irene. "Sadira is young and she is heart broken. Ulyesses is being unrelentless and it seems nothing will call a truce between those two."

The serpiente man looked back down at his sleeping son, "Ulyesses hates being forced into things, if it came down to it he'd rather be given a choice so he could make it himself. Though he acts tough, he is still a man, he's scared. He lost his first mate and babe and nothing can ease the fear he has about losing them again.

"I'm sure if tension started up again, you and Zane would be concerned about another war, you both wouldn't want to be forced with that situation again. Knowing Ulyesses, he wouldn't have slept with Sadira if he didn't care about her, but because of what happened he would never admit it. Letting on to his own feelings is like opening a door to more pain, you can't force that door open, you must let him do that on his own."

"What of my sister? Does she just suffer while he tries to figure out whether it's love or lust?" Danica didn't like the idea of waiting for the man to come to his own conclusion. "She's poured her heart out to him and gotten nothing but critism from our mother and a baby she might end up taking care of alone. As her sister, I can only support her so much..."

Irene placed a hand on her avian sister's shoulder, the concern shown bright in her garnet eyes. "No one made you love Zane, even when he tried so hard to get you to open up to him. Think of Sadira as Zane and Ulyesses as yourself, it will happen if we just let it."

For an avian, Danica had little patience. This was pushing her nerves to their breaking points. "I'm afraid it won't happen and Sadira will be misrable for her life and her child will see her parents torn apart and bitter. I grew up with a mother who was bitter with her husband till the end and his death left a large hole of 'what ifs' and 'why didn't I?'. I couldn't bare it."

Irene nodded and looked at Galen and Salem. She knew what Danica was saying and feeling. But facts were facts. And sadly the fact was that Ulyesses was in denial and Sadira is heart broken.

It was up to them now.

* * *

**Hola! So I posted This Night of Solice and it is rated M, its revolved around Ulyesses and Sadira, so please read! This story will be undergoing editing and changes may be made so if you are wondering why things seem different, you now know.**

**Jane**


	12. Alistair

**Hello, hello, its nice to see you all again here on this lovely day with us. Its been a while yes, but both authors are in school so patience is needed lol.**

**On and forward!**

* * *

Aiden couldn't understand why his mate was pouting at him as he sat there looking at her. He had just come home after his shift, sitting down at the table for dinner and waited for his mate to make her appearance from the bread stand.

Of course she had come in, covered head to toe in flour, dough under her nails, and a pout on her face and stood before as she did now, pouting like a child.

He cleared his throat and looked up at Araie, calmly taking in her upset state. "Yes?"

She raised a brow and huffed. "The roof broke today." She sat down and crossed her arms. "I had to close down early and take all the bread to the Keep to see if they would like any." She bit her lip and sighed.

He took her all in. The roof caving wouldn't set her off like she was now. "And?" He urged her to go on, wanting to find the reason for her disdain.

She kept her pout and sighed. Suddenly it was no longer an adorable pout but a face of concern. "The Tuuli Thea is holding a banquet, for her sister and her new alistair: Ulyesses, to announce their relationship to the public and the court. All family members and nobles must attend." She ran her fingers delicately over her red braid. "Those are orders, not invitations."

Aiden now understood his mate's earlier mood, feeling is own turn sour. "Well, I will be there, do not worry."

"I love Ulyesses." She whispered. Aiden took his mate's hand and kissed it. "He is my only family left, Aiden, but he did things that made me want to hate him and I said things-" She swallowed. "I'm not ready face him yet."

Aiden didn't say it out loud but he hated Ulyesses. He held no respect, care, or feelings toward his new 'brother'. He took Araie away from him! He took advantage of Sadira and embarrassed the Shardae name. The day that he forgave Ulyesses would be the day that his love for Araie would fade. In his mind, that was never.

"You do not have to talk to him and I will be by your side the whole time and they will be to busy to notice our presence any way." He tried to reassure her but the look on her face said that other things were bothering her as well. "What are you not telling me?"

She looked up and sighed. "I thought I was with child."

Aiden sat up straight and leaned toward his mate more. "And?" He tried not to sound to excited but his tone gave him away and Araie bit her lip and shook her head. He leaned back into his chair again and tilted his head. "In due time I suppose."

"Oh gods, that will be forever." Araie threw herself at Aiden and he wrapped his arms around her. He leaned his head down and planted a chaste kiss on his mate's lips. She played with the buttons on his uniform. "So lets speed up the process."

Oh, his mate was a wonderful woman. He would make her forget all about her brother.

* * *

"For the love of- Salem! No!" Sadira ran after the toddler that was running away with her family tiara. It wasn't a tiara in all the sense but a gold head piece that had pearls and diamonds set in the band delicately. How Salem had gotten his little hands on it was beyond the hawk princess, but she was not in the mood to be chasing him around the Keep trying to retrieve it back.

The little serpiente prince giggled and stopped, turned, smiled, only to giggle again as he ran away. She felt her stomach roll and it took all of Sadira not to heave and continued after Salem in her ridiculously heavy dress that hid her growing stomach. Tonight was the banquet for her and Ulyesses to announce their pairing and Danica insisted that they be groomed to the point that they would shine. That included being dressed in super formal gowns.

Salem ran around a corner and Sadira groaned and looked up toward the ceiling. 'Alisdair...' She continued around the corner only to freeze and sneak back to hide behind the corner again.

There, in the middle in the hall way, in his formal uniform for the palace guard, was Ulyesses, holding Salem upside down, the tiara in his hand.

The babe was squealing and laughing while his little arms flayed around. Ulyesses chuckled and flipped him up properly in his arms and put the tiara on his head, making Salem laugh more.

"I am guessing that you stole this and you think you are very clever." Ulyesses patted Salem's back and nodded. "And that the owner is not going to be very happy when she finds you." He tossed Salem up in the air and caught him, only to toss him up again. Salem enjoying every moment of it.

Sadira watched with wonderment. He was an insensitive bastard, but the way he was enjoying Salem, made her heart warm. Soon that would be their child that he would be tossing up in the air and catching and coddling to his chest.

"Shardae, come get this piece of trash off my head before he remembers I have it." He said with out missing a beat and blew a raspberry on Salem's cheek.

That jackass. She frowned and made her appearance and held up her skirts as she advanced quickly toward them. "It is not trash, Opries. It is the tiara that _your _daughter will one day wear." She reached up and tried to retrieve it off the top of his head. Failing she sighed. "Please lower yourself. You are to tall."

He sighed and tilted his head down and Sadira went to retrieve it, only to have Ulyesses's hair entangle itself in one of the prongs that held a diamond in place. He hissed and tried to yank his head out of her grasp. Cuts, bruises, and broken bones were no problem for him, but a little bit of hair pulling? It was all over for Ulyesses Opries.

"Don't yank, it will only make it worse." She scolded. Salem giggled and slapped Ulyesses's cheek, thinking that it was a game.

"Gods Salem, what is your- ouch damn it, woman." Ulyesses felt his hair being tugged on again as Sadira tried to get the tiara out of his hair. "One day I am going to avenge this..."

Sadira tried not to laugh as Salem continued his assault on Ulyesses's face as she tried to untangle his hair. "Could your hair be any longer? This is out of control." She mumbled.

She could see him sneer and part of his face turning red from Salem's hand. Ulyesses reached up and gently grabbed Salem's hand. "Little bugger has a good hit."

"I hope it hurts." She slipped the tiara out of his hair and Ulyesses groaned in relief.

He continued to hold Salem and looked at Sadira with a glare. "Stay away from me tonight, I am not in a mood to put up with you being a bitch."

Sadira recoiled as if he had hit her and glared until Salem held up his arms and said: "Bitch!"

Ulyesses and Sadira stared at Salem in horror. Ulyesses put his hand over Salem's mouth. "No, no Salem, that is a bad thing to say."

"Ulyesses! You should watch what you say around him! What if he says it tonight?" Sadira took Salem out of Ulyesses's arms, despite his protests, and held him to her and turned away. "What are you going to do with this is our child?" She stormed around the corner, away from him.

She tried to keep her frustration down, but she wondered: would Ulyesses be a good father after all?

* * *

Luckily, Salem's bed time was early that evening, since he had cursed at his mother and now Irene was out for blood. She knew who had taught him that. The same man that taught her!

She moved through the crowd like she would through grass in her second form. She made it behind the dias were Zane was standing, with Danica, Nacola, Galen, and Rei. Some solider with very short hair was discussing something with Zane who was staring up at the man's head. Luckily Sadira wasn't there yet, as she was ill.

"Where is Esses?" She stormed over to Zane who looked at her like she was crazy and pointed to the man in front of him.

She looked at him confused and turned to look up at the man in front of them. Sure enough, it was him, but she tried not to cringe.

"What, in Maeve's name, happened to your hair?" She raised her brows. "You look so old..."

Ulyesses sneered. "Irene, if we weren't in a public area, I would whoop you a good one."

She put her hands on her hips and glared up at him. "Oh? Not before I'd kill you! How dare you teach my son to say such things! He personally tested his new vocabulary on me this evening!"

The corners of Ulyesses's mouth twitched as he tried not to laugh. "Irene, I assure you, I have no idea what you are talking about. He might of heard it from his mother, who's vocabulary is just as bad as any one else."

She hit his chest and heard Nacola voice her disapproval; she ignored her and crossed her arms, her mate by her side confused.

"Ulyesses Marcatous Opries, I am not an idiot! You taught me son to curse, just like you did to me!" She glared at him and walked away. "You look ridiculous by the way!"

Zane snickered and moved toward his mate who was watching with curiosity. "She's right you know, you look so old."

At that moment Sadira came from behind the thick curtains that were behind the dais, freezing when she saw Ulyesses who glared at her and turned his back away from her.

She tensed and moved stiffly around her mother and toward his side, standing there silently. The idiot cut his hair. She enjoyed his thick red hair. This was going against her, she knew, but did he have to be so malicous?

_Yes, of course_. She thought bitterly.

"Don't look so off princess," He whispered to her in a harsh tone. "I did it so you couldn't complain anymore."

She kept her mask on and moved on to the dais, followed by Ulyesses and their family members, excluding 2, but they were here. Ulyesses's eyes found his sister's right away and she was looking up at him with a blank expression. Next to her was her doting mate that looked at him with nothing less but hatred. Ulyesses silently cursed him and continued to follow his mate to the middle of the dais, where she stood like a statue, obviously hiding her discontent and nerves.

Sadira hated public speaking. She was glad it was something short and that Danica would be doing the rest of the talking.

She felt Ulyesses's eyes on her, but she avoided looking at him and continued looking out towards the crowd. She saw many faces she knew, others were strangers. Most of the people were avians, which she was grateful, but she saw some serpiente nobles and her new sister in law, you looked at her with a sad face. Sadira silently with her eyes tried to reassure the girl that she would be alright and then she looked at Aiden. She remembered when she went to Ulyesses that night to ask him about what it was like to be in love and he thought she was speaking of Aiden.

_That would have been an easier life. _She took a deep breath and looked away as her sister made her way in front of the other family members to speak. _Of course I had to love the unreasonable Ulyesses, who wishes for me to disappear._

"Thank you for joining with us this evening. The Diente and I have the honors to announce a pairing, before the court and our people." Danica said to the crowd who was watching her,. Zane stood by her silently. "The announcement though has been delayed for quite a while, and we apologize, but we formally introduce princess Sadira Shardae and her alistair, Ulyesses Opries."

Ulyesses stepped forward with Sadira, keeping his own mask on so that know one knew that this was a forced arrangement.

Sadira could see some disapproval from the crowd, mostly from the avian side. She sighed and kept her gaze on the wall, where a sculpture of a woman with hawk wings was standing, staring straight back at her.

The group hesitantly applauded and Sadira took her sister's place and took a deep breath. "Yes, thank you. To celebrate, please follow us to the banquet hall, where musicians and food are waiting." She turned and waited for Ulyesses to come to her side as the family, excluding Nacola, filed off the dais.

Ulyesses took her arm and went to move, but Nacola stopped them and he felt Sadira waver. He felt that over protective surge like when Nacola had attacked Sadira the first time.

"I am not going to chastise you." Nacola spoke evenly. "But for the sake of our people, do not," She directed her golden gaze at Ulyesses. "Cause a scene. Danica has enough to deal with, you two not acting like adults should not be one of those issues." She turned and walked off the dais.

"She may be my new mother, but I truly dislike that woman." Ulyesses escorted Sadira off the platform.

"I have an idea. Let's not talk for the rest of the night." Sadira removed herself from his arm as soon as they were out of sight from the others and walked ahead of him.

"Good idea." He mumbled and turned, only to smack right into Araie who was trying to push past him to talk to Sadira.

"Ouch, why do you always have to do that?" She rubbed her forehead and glared up at him.

"Sorry." He avoided looking at her and went to move past her.

"Ulyesses." She turned and grabbed his arm. "Wait."

He turned his head and looked at her. "What?"

She nervously played with her hair, as she usually did, and looked up at him. "Those things, that I said, about you ruin mine and mama's lives...I didn't mean it." She looked away.

He scoffed and shook his head. "With all the things said to me as of late Araie, I feel like I ruin every person I encounter lives. You did mean it, or you wouldn't have said it." He turned away and continued walking. "Go back to that idiot of a mate of yours and live happily ever after."

Araie ran after her brother, who was making his way out of the hall, the other way of the banquet. "Ulyesses! Stop!"

He continued on, ignoring her. She could feel the tears in her eyes and the sadness as her brother continued to walk away from her. She knew Aiden was not that far behind her, but for once she just wanted to be away from him for just a while.

She followed Ulyesses out of the Keep and into what looked to be a court yard. He was standing, looking up at the sky, totally ignoring her presence.

"Ulyesses, please, I know what I said was mean, but come on, I was angry. You took me away from my home and my friends-"

"What friends Araie? After mama died we had nothing here. I didn't even know Sadira was with child and she hid it from me, by the way, and that bird brained idiot you called a mate was the one who was ordered to arrest me a while ago, we had problems before you two were twiddling around. Now, go away. You made it clear you didn't want me around." He walked a couple of steps away from her.

''I know your hurt, really hurt Esses. I know when Sisal died, you blamed yourself for not being able to save her and I couldn't imagine holding my child as it died," She paused as she swallowed tears. She could see the image of her brother, coming back from the battle field, carrying a bundle of blankets with a babe inside of them, not even coherent as he tried to explain he couldn't save his daughter and how it was all his fault. She saw even now that he felt that same pain. "I know watching our brothers die and then mama...I know, I lost them too, but please, don't shut me and Sadira out. Especially her, she loves you so much and I wish you could actually see how much you hurt her. Please, you have to move on, its making it worse."

Ulyesses shook his head. "No, Araie, I bet you can't imagine what it feels like to watch the woman you love be killed in front of you. I didn't want to tell you, but it was your mate who put his knife into Sisal. I hate that man. You don't even know what its like seeing your sister with your lover's killer. You don't know what it is like when you cut open her womb to save a life that you knew was gone with its mother and my sister is frolicking with her killer."

Araie stood frozen, trying to keep her breath even. "Aiden wouldn't do that."

Ulyesses's turned around, eyes blazing and jaw clenched, speaking through teeth. "No, because he is a saint. Araie, I am trying to move on but every day is a reminder is that I failed Sisal and my daughter, my _unborn _daughter. Now go home." He stalked past her and back into the Keep.

Araie stood on shaking legs. Aiden would have never killed a pregnant woman...but Sisal had been his enemy, and the whole point of the war was to wipe out the royal lines. Why wouldn't he? But the thought of her mate plunging a knife into her late sister in law's swollen belly made her retch.

"Araie! I tried to get to you earlier, but you moved-what is wrong?" Aiden came to her side and touched her arm. She looked at his hand and stared at it before moving away from his touch. He looked at her confused as tears fell down her face. "Araie, whats wrong?"

She shook her head. "Please tell me you didn't do it." She held her hands to her chest, trying to keep calm. Ulyesses was wrong, he just wanted her to hate Aiden, to tear them apart.

Aiden stepped closer and cupped her face and wiped the tears away. "What? Did what?" He whispered softly as she shook her head.

"Did you kill Sisal Cobriana?" She asked in a broken tone.

Aiden felt the dread washing over him. He knew one day his demons would come to haunt him. The ones on the battle field were the ones he regretted the most. He looked at his mate, trying to find the words to break it to her that was the real reason for her brother's hatred towards him. He swallowed down his fear of her rejection and nodded.

She covered her mouth and stepped away from him. He tried to grab her hand but she yanked it away from him. "How could you? Aiden, she was pregnant! With my brother's child, she was looking for him! What did she do to deserve that?"

Aiden ran a hand through his hair. "War is an ugly thing Araie, and sadly I can't take back for what I have done."

"But my brother..." Araie covered her face. "Why did you not tell me? Why did I have to find out this way?"

He threw up in hands in frustration. "What was I going to say? I love you so much, your my world, but I killed Sisal Cobriana?"

She shook her head and looked at him, her brows knit closely together. "You have to apologize to Ulyesses, or I won't ever have my family together."

Aiden scoffed. "Araie, if I apologized to him I doubt it would change anything and why does it matter if him and I get along?"

"Because it hurts him that I am your mate!" She shouted. She looked around only to see a few guards by the entrance to the Keep. "My brother needs closure, so that he can accept Sadira and the life ahead of him."

Aiden looked at Araie doubtfully. "I think that his issues with moving on goes beyond my apology." She stared at him like he had slapped her. She turned away from him and went toward the entrance.

"If you don't do it, we won't be able to move on. Make up your mind if you want me or not."

* * *

The banquet was slow. Ulyesses had not reappeared and Sadira felt embarrassed as she sat alone at the main table, her sister and Zane beside her. Zane was looking out in the crowd and had sent a palace guard to personally look for Ulyesses.

When asked, Danica had explained that he was not feeling well earlier and was probably resting before coming back down. Sadira couldn't handle her sister lying to their people and she could see the doubt on their faces.

"He's not coming back, Dani." Sadira looked down at her plate and straightened her napkin. "I think he'll be gone for the night."

Danica kept her voice low and leaned toward Sadira. "I will handle it."

"No." Sadira looked at her sister. "It will only make him angry."

Danica sighed. "Look at what he is doing, Sadira, this is terrible." She turned her head towards a guard making his way through the crowd. He stopped and said something in Zane's ear before going back into the crowd.

Zane leaned over. "Ulyesses isn't in his chambers. He might be at the training ground."

Sadira stood up and set her napkin down. "I will be back. Tell them whatever you like." Sadira made her way to the back of the banquet hall so that she could sneak out with out being noticed to much.

It was cold out side, to Sadira anyway and she could feel the rain coming. She kept a steady pace and she didn't care about the hem of her dress getting dirty. It was the least of her worries.

She could hear banging and clanging from the top of the hill before descending down into the training grounds. She stopped shortly when she saw Araie sitting on the side of the hill, watching as her brother demolished a dummy meant just for what Ulyesses was doing.

"Araie, its been a while." She watched as the girl looked on, her red curls falling around her body like a blanket and her emerald eyes holding many emotions.

"I wouldn't go down there right now, he is really upset." Araie warned. She saw her new 'sister' stand stiff and glower at the man down below.

"He is humiliating me and my family as well as yours." She crossed her arms. "He is being completely unreasonable."

"Have you ever thought that maybe the pressure you are putting on him maybe the reason he is acting this way?" Araie looked up at Sadira and patted the earth beside her. "He might just need a minute before you can storm down there."

Sadira frowned but sat on the ground that Araie was holding for her. "He is a grown man and he made these decisions; I hold no remorse for him."

Araie moved herself so she could face Sadira more. "Yes, he is a grown man, and yes he made some foul, _foul_ decisions but," She looked down at her brother. The rate he was moving and all the weapons he was using for his destruction, there would be no dummies for tomorrow's Flight practice. "He is suffering and he is being pressured to move on, has been since he returned on that forsaken day. He never got to properly morn for Sisal, his daughter, or even father and our brothers. He is angry at himself."

Sadira watched as her alistair removed his jacket and retrieved a bow. "Does he really blame himself for those deaths?"

Araie sighed and held herself. "Yes. You have no idea what happened that day. I know you have lost siblings and parents and friends to the war, but you can't even imagine having your eldest brother come home, covered in _her _blood and holding his dead daughter, claiming that it was his fault and he couldn't save her."

Sadira stared at Araie mortified. He had tried to save the child from her dead mother's womb? Sadira held her stomach and looked at her mate. "No I can't comprehend that."

"He only has the bow now, I think that you can go down there now." She watched as her brother fired shots at trees, dirt and anything else hittable.

"No...I'll leave him be and catch him when he comes back. Araie..." She stood up. The red headed girl stood with her and looked at her, waiting for the princess to speak again. "Thank you."

Araie was confused. What had made the princess hawk change her mind? But she nodded her head and watched as the pregnant princess made her way back to the Keep.

* * *

Dang! That was long, but here you go! Review!


	13. Amends

**Hola! So, a couple of you expressed you agitation with Ulyesses; totally understand, but that is what I want you to feel, so that made me feel good about my character building. Anyway, I would like to ask you one more time, since I have no idea what direction to take, what gender should the baby be? I have names picked out for both genders, but what one I want is not a decision I can make, so as my readers, tell me, what do you think?**

**-Jane**

* * *

Danica was a calm person, generally, but when it came to her sister and family, she was not one to let the emotions slide off her reserve like most did.

But the way Sadira looked when she came back was almost a relief to Danica. Her sister was smiling, almost blushing, as if something really wonderful had just happened. When asked after the banquet on the way back to their sleeping chambers, Sadira smiled again and said: "Just not heart broken like I was. He really is a good man. An idiot, but good."

Danica was confused but then again, to see her sister in that state of happiness, was good enough for her. But the way her mate was still being stiff with her as she was with him, made her mood dampen a bit.

"Will you be sleeping in our bed tonight or will you be running off to hide in guest rooms?" She asked as she brushed the snags out of her golden hair. Oliza was fast asleep in her little bed across the room, her tiny hands twitching every now and then and Zane didn't seem to want to take his eyes of her, but he did, with reluctance.

"You wish to argue tonight?" He asked bluntly, settling the garnet gaze on Danica who was looking at him through the mirror.

"No. It was an honest question." She set the brush down and turned to face him. "I know your still angry at me-"

"I understand your anger and the urge to protect your sister, but that was over the line Dani. You threatened a innocent, not a completely innocent man, but innocent of the crime you convicted him with. Your sister even said it was consensual and I could only imagine the anger and tension that would come with it if he hadn't taken the offer." He walked closer to her, not taking his eyes off his frustrated, but beautiful mate. "But he is my brother. Maybe not by blood, but he treated us no different than his real family. He loved Sisal. Their love was told among the dancers, it was so strong. But, I understand, I just need you to understand that he is as much a part of my family as Irene and Salem."

She thought about arguing with him, fighting his words, but he was right. She had abused her power and attacked with out thinking. She stood up and walked toward him, her night gown flowing around her slender legs. She reached out and cupped his cheek with her hand. "I understand, but next time, lets not attack each other like this again."

His cool hand touched her scorching one. "Agreed. I have been very cold the past week." He smirked as she smiled and reached up on her toes to give him a kiss. When she pulled away, he rested his forehead against her's and sighed contently. "To answer your question, there is a very lonely bed that needs some attention."

* * *

Blood. It was everywhere.

Ulyesses stood up from his crouching position, an unfortunate avian solider dead by his feet, his armor clamoring and his swords stained.

The smell was horrendous and the bodies were piling up on each other, others falling more and more as the slaughter continued.

"Ulyesses!" He heard a cry and he turned, the red blanket of his hair whisping around his face. There she was, on her horse, her black hair billowing behind her and her garnet eyes staring at him with horror.

Sisal.

Ulyesses knew the memory and it made him recoil but she was still there. She dismounted and unsheathed a bow, arming her self.

"No!" He defended himself against an attacking solider, avoiding a poisonous blade. "Go back!"

"No!" She cried. "Not with out you!" She released a bow towards his attacker, hitting him in the heart and making him fall to his death, landing on the bodies that surrounded him.

"No, Sisal, go home, please!" He ran towards her, as fast as he could. Maybe he could save her this time. Maybe he wouldn't have to watch her die.

But the shadow fell over them and Ulyesses saw what was coming. "Sisal! Run!" He called, but she ignored him and ran towards him.

He panicked and ran faster, but his legs felt like lead. He felt the tears well in his eyes. Not this time, he was going to save her.

But as he reached her, the formidable shadow had landed, a young raven's knife plunging into the womb that had held his child safe. Sisal screamed and fell to her knees, blood gushing out between her fingers.

"No!" Ulyesses swung at the raven but he had ducked and Ulyesses saw the anguish on the raven's face, realizing what he had done and he scrambled to his feet, running away with a cry.

Ulyesses fell to his knees, catching a dying Sisal in his arms, holding her to his chest. "No, no, no..." He could feel the pain in his chest as it replayed, not being able to stop it. "Sisal..."

"Ulyesses...I love you." Sisal was cling to him, but he could feel her grip loosen on him and finally become limp. He began to shake, looking down in his arms, but only to have confusion strike him.

The hair he had loved so much was now golden, in waves that fell around her face. This was not Sisal.

"Sadira..." He whispered and with shaking fingers touched the hawk princess's still face.

Her usually active golden gaze was now an empty stare at the sky, blood flowing from her mouth into her hair, staining it red.

Ulyesses felt the pain of losing a loved one, many loved ones, but this was too much. He looked down to see her womb already sliced open, like Sisal's was and looked back in his arms to see a tiny babe in his arms. Golden hair, beautiful lips, tiny hands in balls, but the knife had stabbed the infant as well and the stab wound in her back had killed her.

His daughter and mate were dead.

He felt the screams well up in his throat; before he woke up, jolting straight up, sweat falling from his hairline down his face, along with tears. It was so horrid that the serpiente man would have rather died than relive that, let alone let Sadira die in such a manor.

Sadira had heard his screams and felt the movement in their bed. She had also jolted up, clenching the sheets and staring at her alistair with wide eyes.

"Ulyesses?" She went to touch him, but as soon as her warm fingers touched his skin he jumped and looked at her, studying her and then resting his head in his hands.

"I'm fine. Go to sleep." He ran his hands over the shortened hair on his head.

Sadira though, did not fall for his lie and instead scooted closer to him and touched his arm. "You're not fine, please don't lie to me."

He looked at her and saw concern in her eyes. "You are acting strange. Why aren't you being hateful?"

She sighed. "Don't change the subject."

He laid back down, smoothing out his nightshirt. "I'm going to sleep." He rolled on his side and closed his eyes in a natural frown.

She continued to look at him, studying his demeanor and the way he breathed. No, he was not fine.

Yes, she had over come her sorrow of his rejection earlier. She came to the understanding that his rejection was his way of showing her his affection. Odd, yes, but what he had said to her month's prier made sense now.

He had yet to over come letting down Sisal, creating a fear of losing another one he loves, there for protecting himself by rejecting affection like hers. But he didn't want to break her heart because he had an on going war inside of him. That's why Sadira had, somewhat, in her heart forgiven him. Though she still felt a bit bitter.

She loved him, why wasn't that enough?

She lay down on the bed, facing him on her side. She held her stomach, a habit she was forming and looked at her mate. When his eyes were closed he looked at peace, even though that wasn't the case. Her fingers twitched with the need to touch him and she had a thought. He hadn't felt their child yet. Not that it was moving, but she saw Zane constantly put his hand over Danica's belly, as if having a secret moment with his unborn daughter.

She reached out and lightly touched Ulyesses's hand, instantly making him aware. He didn't pull away, as he craved the touch like she did, only he refrained for obvious reasons, but his curiosity took hold as she moved his hand toward her. His look softened as she rolled on her back, pulling up her nightdress, and placed his hand on her bare stomach.

He swallowed lightly and made eye contact with her as she held his hand in place, letting him bask in their miracle. They had yet to have a chance to enjoy it.

"Sadira-"

"Shhh…I'm falling asleep." She mumbled in a sleepy haze and rubbed his knuckles with the pads of her thumbs.

He kept looking at her, even though her eyes were no longer open. The way her hair sprawled across the pillow and how her rose colored lips parted made his heart heavy.

He was hurting this woman. But his male pride would never admit it.

He listened as her breathing became steadier and she slipped into sleep. He hadn't realized it but he had been stroking the warm golden skin under his hands, easing him into a slumber as well.

Maybe he didn't love her like she did him, but she was worth all the care he could offer.

* * *

The training grounds were busy the next morning. Avians were a proper people, but the gossip was just as alive here as it was in the serpiente court. It was just handled differently.

"I doubt it's arranged." A sparrow quipped up. A crowd had gathered at the far end of the grounds and there discussion was non-other than the banquet from last night. "The former Tuuli Thea would have never allowed it."

A crow scoffed. "What can she do about it? She is no longer in a place to oppose such dealings."

"She's still the princess's mother. She wouldn't have let it be arranged. They must have forced it." The sparrow was convinced.

"As that maybe, he was absent most of the night. The Tuuli Thea told lady Penelope that he had been ill earlier that day but I think he was-"

"Enough." Sorrell spun around, looking at all the culprits of the gossip. He had been listening quietly, until it became just idiotic. "Last time I was informed, gossip was not part of protecting the royal families, get back to training or leave the grounds."

They respectfully went back to their duties and training. It was not a day to infuriate the raven.

They all knew that he was tired and by the way he was holding himself, his mate did not let him share their bed last night.

Rei watched his fellow guard and continued to supervise two sparring trainees. He also was sleep deprived, with his new son not wanting any one in the household to sleep because he was discontent.

"Sorrell, a moment, will you?" He called out to the ruffled raven.

Aiden turned toward his captain and made way over to him. His shoulders sagged slightly and the bags under his eyes were like bruises.

"Yes?" He stood next to Rei, watching as a sparrow, female, put a much larger male crow on his back.

"Tell me, as a friend, as why you take it so necessary to snap at everyone today?" He raised a brow when the other raven sighed.

"Its my mate. It is a long story." Aiden tried to wave him off, but Rei would not be dismissed so easily.

"Had a good fight with her did you?"

Aiden's lips thinned out and he recalled last night's argument. It had continued at home and earned him a place out side of their bedroom. She even refused to kiss him good-bye this morning. Snakes, even non-venomous ones, left nasty wounds.

"She found out who Sisal Cobriana's killer was. Now she is insisting that I apologize to her disgraceful older brother." He scoffed at the thought. He would offer an apology to the Cobriana family, but never to Ulyesses.

"Disgraceful? You are not fond of him are you?" Rei looked at his companion.

"I dislike him to a point where I don't think there are words for it. Oh, yes, there is. Hatred."

"Its so unlike you to be so distraught. I say apologize to him and then your mate will be content and things will go back to normal." Rei with drew his sword. "Spar with me?"

Aiden smirked and with drew his own sword and followed Rei. Maybe he should apologize after all. He had a feeling he would taste dirt today.

* * *

**Alright! Tell me what you think! Btw, I again want to hear predictions, so throw them at me!**


	14. War

**Wow, I am way over due for an update and I apologize! I am working full time and just recently graduated from Cosmetology school (also full time). I barely had time!. No, I am not going to put it up for adoption any more since I am back at it. I just felt it was a shame that the story would have to end because of my busy schedule.**

**My writing style has changed slightly so you may see a difference and bare with me on updating this, it may take a while but it will be worth it.**

**Thank you to all my readers for your patience. Those who review I will reward you with previews again.**

**-Jane**

* * *

Sadira had never seen so much color at one time nor had she seen so many people in such little clothing. It almost made her embarrassed, but luckily for her she had grown some what immune to it.

Her serpent family sprung this on her. A celebration for the birth of Oliza, even though that was a while ago, and to announce that Ulyesses's and Sadira were expecting. Even though it would be a mute point. The rumor had already gone around since Sadira had grown more hungry and her belly was now protruding outward. It was a scandal. Sadira saw it in most of her people's eyes.

Most of the avians stayed on one side of the room while the serpiente danced on the other, singing and carrying on. The royal families sat upon the dias, watching anxiously as their people barely interacted. After a while Irene sighed. She was wearing a dancer's dress and had a shimmering make up on her face to make her almost look like Kiesh'a herself.

"I suppose this is a far cry from them slitting each other's throats." She said lowly so only Sadira and her sister heard. Zane took a deep breath. He had heard it to.

Ulyesses looked out toward the crowd with a bored expression, watching the dancer's and wishing that his mate was feeling well enough to dance tonight. It always made him feel excited that she would go against her up bringing and dance like a serpent. But she was still not feeling well and the baby was moving so much that she was growing uncomfortable.

The former Tuuli Thea sat silently next to her alistar and only looked upon the avian side, as if she was waiting for something to happen. She couldn't help but notice her daughter's discomfort and recalled her first pregnancy. Even though she wasn't that far along, it was still uncomfortable to have some thing kick at your insides. She leaned over slitly and whispered in a servants ear. "My daughter needs some herbal tea. Make sure there is honey in it or she will not touch it." The proper hawk sat up straight again and continued to watch the people in the crowd.

While Sadira watched the beautiful colors and dancers, she kept shifting so her little one could stretch more. She didn't know that a baby could move so much but then again, she was close to six months and this was no ordinary child. Its father couldn't sit still for a few seconds, let a lone an hour, which he had been attempting to do. He kept sitting up and then hunching over again and moving his legs while having idle chat with Zane and Irene. He avoided Danica for obvious reasons and only said a few words to Sadira. For some reason, that annoyed the hawk princess.

"I am wondering though," Irene looked at her mate who was standing guard behind them. "-if we could go down dance, Zanie." She shifted her sash on her chest, which held a sleeping Salem. He had played to hard today and was immune to the noises. Oliza was chewing on her fingers in her father's arms.

"I am not sure if its that kind of event...it was a spur of the moment ordeal." Zane said with uncertainty. "But I don't see the harm other than we would have to pawn our children off to some one else." He looked pointedly at Ulyesses who glared at him shaking his head.

The argument was futile and before he could say anything Ulyesses had a sleeping Salem in one arm and passive Oliza in the other, both not caring if their parents were leaving them. Irene only insisted it was a couple dances and Zane quickly grabbed Danica before Ulyesses could say anything about her. Sadira also went to move.

"You are not leaving me with both of them. Take your niece." Ulyesses handed over Oliza before Sadira could escape. She sighed and took her niece, who smiled and kicked her legs when she saw her aunt.

After a while of sitting in silence a servant kneeled at Sadira's side and held out a cup of tea towards the princess. "Milady Shardae."

Sadira shook her head and frowned slightly. "But I didn't ask for any."

"The former Tuuli Thea requested it for you. It is to help calm the baby." The servant set the tea by the princess's side and left quickly before Sadira could protest. Her mother ask for tea for her?

Sadira wanted to be stubborn and refuse, but then again the baby was sitting in all the wrong places and made her uncomfortable. She didn't know that being pregnant would be so unglamorous at times. Not that she didn't enjoy it.

While her niece smiled up at her and cooed a story, Sadira multi-tasked between her, the tea, and watching the dancers. She wanted so badly to go join them, but she knew the Avians would frown upon her and her mother would later tell her how disappointing she was...again. But she told her self as soon as Danica or any one else came back, she was going down there to at least talk to both sides. And to eat. Close to them was a large table of dishes that the serpiente brought and some had even put in the generosity for the avians and made vegetarian dishes. Some avians who didn't care about interacting with the serpents interacted with them by the table, as if making a safe zone.

That is when she saw the bright red hair.

Araie was mingling with other girls her age while Aiden was on duty by the dias. She was laughing and she waved at Sadira when she noticed her looking at her. She waved her to come down but Sadira shook her head and pointed to Oliza in her lap. Araie nodded and then sent a wary gaze at Ulyesses and then another to her mate before making it up to dias and came to sit in between her brother and his mate. She remained silent before giving a sly look to her brother and poked his neck. This caused the bigger sibling to jump and turn angerly toward his sister. "Cut it out. You'll wake Salem."

"Ohh you scare me." Araie rolled her eyes and then looked at Sadira. She smiled at the hawk and Sadira returned the smile.

Araie noticed her discomfort and pursed her lips in thought before nodding to the crowd. "Go stand and chit chat, your making me uncomfortable just by looking at you. I'll take Oliza, Zane won't mind."

Sadira thought about it carefully and gave Ulyesses a look. He only shrugged and looked back out at the crowd. If Irene and Zane trusted the siblings, then why not? Sadira gently handed Oliza over to the red haired girl. Sadira quickly stood and with relief went to join her sister in the crowd. Oliza whimpered a little but Araie bounced her till she was content.

"What are you doing?" Ulyesses sent a glare at his sister.

"Do I have to have a motive to spend time with my brother?" Araie scoffed. "Esses, you need to relax." She swayed back and forth calmly, making Oliza's eyes droop sleepily.

He watched her and then sighed. It had been a long time since she just wanted to be around him. Ever since they had returned, she had distanced herself from him. It became worse since she mated that bird. That was another reason he was tense. The said man was right behind him and it unnerved Ulyesses to have him at his back. He was counting on Sorrell's love for his sister and his undying loyalty to his mate.

Araie cleared her throat. "Esses?"

He removed himself from his thoughts and looked at his sister, who looked like she might cry. He frowned. "Yes?"

She closed her eyes and then looked away. The way her jaw tightened and her neck strained made him feel sick to his stomach. Some thing was terribly wrong. "Never mind." Was all she said.

Salem moved in Ulyesses's arms and he looked down to see that the boy had just turned in his sleep. The tiny cobra was comfortably woven around Ulyesses's hand and sleeping still. Ulyesses looked back up at his sister to only see her watching the crowd with dead eyes. This upset him. His sister was a very cheery girl who was always on him about his moods. Seeing her so distraught made the man want to push her to tell him what was wrong. Had Sorrell hurt her? Did the bread stand close? What was it?

"You can tell me anything Araie." He whispered to his sister, seeing if maybe that would comfort her. Sadly she just nodded. How had she turned into this dead person? Was it not just moments ago when she was laughing with the dancers?

Before he could interrogate her Danica came back with Zane and the siblings were released from their duties. Araie wasted no time in getting lost again in the crowd. Zane noticed Ulyesses's worried gaze and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Ulyesses, she is a grown woman. She will take care of it."

Ulyesses looked at the Diente and his Naga, who were watching him with concerned emotions. Danica looked to see her sister coming back up the stairs and instantly she saw Ulyesses's face. "Oh dear. What happened?"

Ulyesses shrugged them all off. He didn't want any more questions about his sister. It was making him more upset and he almost went to Sorrell to get out of him what was wrong with her. He held back. "I don't feel well. I am going to retire early."

The former Tuuli Thea appeared behind her youngest daughter. "You should go as well. You shouldn't be taxing yourself so."

Sadira looked at Danica who sent her a warning gaze. Don't ruin it with questions, just accept the concern. Sadira nodded and followed her mate back to their quarters. She bit her lip, not understanding. Her mother hated their union and even more despised the fact she was with child, but then she was ordering her calming tea and then making sure she was not over doing it? She wanted to shake the answer out of her mother, to demand what was the sudden care, but she kept silent and found herself in the room she shared with Ulyesses.

As soon as Ulyesses sat down in one of the chairs, Sadira stood by his side. After a few silent moments she sat the chair across from him, running a hand lovingly over her belly as she relaxed. Ulyesses watched her and then settled a kind gaze on her swollen belly.

"You look tired." He said quietly. It took Sadira a few moments to understand what he was saying.

She nodded and sighed. "She moved constantly. I should be grateful since that means she is healthy."

Ulyesses raised a brow and smiled with amusement. "She?"

Sadira smirked and gave a him a devious look. "Of course its a she. Her name...well I haven't figured that out yet but..." She stopped and sighed. "I wanted to ask you if it was alright to name her...Mara."

Ulyesses's smile faded and Sadira was waiting for the on slaught on curses at her, but they never came. No harsh words or name calling ever came either. Instead Ulyesses just sat there, quietly, as if he was contemplating on how to strangle her.

"I mean, if you are not comfortable with that-"

"I would like that." He interrupted her and meet her gaze. She almost shivered. "That is a great idea."

Sadira almost slumped in relief and smiled gently. Her little Mara. She had adored the mother of her mate and she found herself missing her kindness and generous advice on Ulyesses. It was such a shame that she had died, but it was an honorable death in which she had saved the Diente from a gruesome death.

She stood up and went over to Ulyesses's side, leaning down to kiss his cheek. He leaned into the kiss and she heard him sigh with relief. He wanted that as much as she did. He turned his head and looked at her. She was so brave and strong; so pure and loving. He reached up and cupped her cheek and brought her down for a kiss on the lips. She blushed and closed her eyes. He was actually kissing her for the first time with out frustration. It was sweet and gentle and for a moment, she felt like everything in the past never happened.

Suddenly their door was swung open and a wild eyed Zane and Rei and Aiden stood there, looking just as perplexed and anxious at their Diente. Ulyesses stood up and put his arm around Sadira, knowing some terrible news was to be announced. Ulyesses feared the worst.

"The wolves, up North..." Zane shook his head and meet Ulyesses's eyes. "They have declared war on us."


	15. Safety

**I have a new path for this story, so bare with me. It may be longer than I thought it would be...**

**-Jane**

* * *

War.

Their worst fear come to life and the message came with a sentry with an arrow. On the body was a note that they surrendered their land or face extinction. It wasn't their peaceful neighbors who let them build their Wyvern's Court. No, the was a sinister pack that came from farther north.

When they had told Ulyesses, Sadira knew what that had meant. He was going to battle. All of them. Aiden, Zane, Galen. Ulyesses...Sadira felt her heart clench and she almost cried out. More death.

Zane ordered the two to the meeting hall in five minutes and left. Celebration was over. When they left the two alone Sadira began to shake. "No..."

Ulyesses clenched his fists and closed his eyes. "Those mongrel bastards."

Sadira grabbed his arm and felt any reserve she had fade. "Does this mean...your leaving?"

Ulyesses looked down at his mate and saw her begin to panic. She had a right too. They were just beginning to get along and subject to their feelings and with their child to be born within a few months, she probably felt scared. Ulyesses nodded and she looked away and walked to the balcony, her face in her hands. Ulyesses followed her and found her gripping the rail, her wings bared and shaking out of anxiety. She looked like a goddess with her golden wings exposed like that.

He stood next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder."Sadira-"

She turned and wrapped her arms around him, trying not to sob. Bloodshed. More people lost and the possibility of losing Ulyesses killed the hawk princess. "I swear the gods laugh at us and want us to suffer." She choked into his chest.

He stroked her hair and then held her out from him, frowning deeply and wiping away her tears. "No, they are challenging our strength. Suffering is part of life and it is up to us to get up off the ground and conquer our failures. My mother told me that."

She held her face and tears began to stream through her fingers. "I can't lose you."

Ulyesses felt that sensation the first time she stomped into his home. That want and care for her. He sighed and looked out toward the lights. His only fear is that she would make the mistake that Sisal did and go to the battle fields to save him. He couldn't let that happen again.

"Sadira, you have to promise me, no matter what happens, you will not go to the battle field, ever. I don't care if the war had just ended, you can't trust any one." He rested his hands on her belly. "For Mara, you have to promise me."

She wanted to protest, to scream and cry like a child and beg him not to go, but she knew better. He would go and he wanted her and the baby safe. It would kill her, make her miserable, but it would be horrible if anything happened to her or the baby. She slowly nodded.

He kissed her forehead and then he rested his against her's. "I know I have not been good to you. I don't deserve you. Listen. I do..." He took a deep breath and held her hands to his chest. "There was never a doubt in my mind you were the one for me. You will always be the one for me."

Sadira choked and gripped his shirt. "Don't say those things, please, don't say those things and then leave me."

"Sadira, I am going to protect my family. You, little Mara, my sister. I am going for you. I am more than willing do die for the Shardae and Cobrianna names. It is what I have to do. What you have to do is remain strong and take care of Araie and yourself, please." Ulyesses felt like he was begging. It was killing him inside he had to leave his pregnant mate and making her suffer.

She swallowed back a sob and nodded. He straightened up and nodded toward the door. "We have to go."

She nodded and prayed to Alasdair that everything would be ok.

* * *

Araie ran through the crowd as fast as she could, avoiding people by a hair. The whole market was a buzz. More war. More sadness to come and more death. Araie couldn't believe it. The wolves had always been a passive people unless you went on their lands with ill intent. She even lived with them for a while after her mother died. She couldn't believe it.

She ran into her home and saw Aiden in his battle uniform and a bag over his shoulder. He looked at her and sighed and shook his head. She speed across the floor and wrapped her arms around him. "I was hoping it was just a rumor."

"No my love, I am afraid not." He ran his hands down her back. "It is all true."

She stepped back and looked around the room. "I can't believe it." She looked into his eyes. "And all we have done up to this point is fight." She felt regret. Now he was going to leave and with the memory that she was upset with him. What an awful way to leave.

He nodded and then looked at her. "Araie...I am so sorry." He set down his bag. "I have been running away from that part of my past and I should have told you but I couldn't do it. I...I will talk to Ulyesses, but now is not a good time."

She looked down and sighed. "I thought when the war between our people ended, that maybe everything would start to get better. I was so wrong. Now we are told that the wolves want us demolished? For what purpose? What influenced them to break peace?" The question came off like she was begging for the anwser. In a way she was.

Aiden cupped her cheek with his hand. "Everything will turn out. You will see."

* * *

Zane paced while Danica sat quietly, watching her alistair with a sad gaze. Irene sat next to her with Galen by her side and Nacola across the table. It was uncomprehendable why the nomads would declare war against a people who caused them no harm. Sadira kept to her sister's side quietly, to tired to understand the conversation around her.

Andreios was holding the bloody note with crude writing on it, relaying the message of death to their people. They were not idiotic people, but when it came to technologies, the Avians and Serpiente were ahead. Strength in hand to hand combat was another issue.

Ulyesses stood in his uniform by Andreios and Aiden, Galen on his other side. They were tense and watching their monarch relive a nightmare they all thought was long over. Ulyesses wondered how many in this room would still be alive when this was all over. He knew Galen wouldn't allow Irene to fight; Zane would fight Danica if she tried it and Ulyesses would rather die than have Sadira anywhere near the fight. But Galen, Sorrell, Zane, Rei, and all the other guards and soliders here for this meeting, their fate is unknown.

"I don't want them anywhere near the people. I want them as far away from the Keep and Palace. No one is in Wyvern's court yet except the workers, who are being brought back as we speak." Zane turned to the four men.

"Do we have any indication if they are planning an attack on the Keep or Palace?" Galen asked.

"No." Zane shook his head and for a brief moment met eyes with his mate. Thoughts ran through his head. Would he be able to save his family again?

Ulyesses straightened up and inhaled deeply. "We need to get to them before they get to us. We can't have them near our courts."

"We should not make the first move." Aiden glared side ways at the burly man. "If they are just threating and not intentionally going to do anything than we would defiantly bring this on ourselve. What if it's rogues who is after us and not a general people?" He turned toward Zane. "We need to wait so we may figure out if this is real or not."

Ulyesses's fists balled at his sides and his jaw clenched. "Do you want to bring death to our people? We have to be out there or they will penetrate the core of both of our societies. Are you an idiot?"

Aiden scoffed. "I think question is do you want us to all die you mongrol-"

He was cut off by Andreios who held up his hands to both officers. "Sorrell, technically Opries and I are your superiours and to talk to one just like you did is disgraceful. But looking at the situation _we-" _He looked pointingly at Ulyesses. "-will forgive you and look over it. You are both right. We do not want to act in case this is all a hoax, but we must make a barrier between them and our homes."

"What do you suggest we do?" Nacola asked cooly. Her eyes never wavering as she kept her golden gaze on the Flight leader.

Zane stopped pacing and watched the military leaders. Andreios nodded at her in aknowledgement of her question. "We need to make camps around the courts. Each should contain enough men to counter an attack and all should be with in reasonable distance. That way, we can be safe."

"Excellent." Zane nodded in agreement and looked at Ulyesses. "What says you my brother?"

Ulyesses knew Andreios was right, but it still bothered him. He nodded to him and looked at Galen and Andreios. "We need to devide our groups so that their is air defense, ground, and scouting. I think having equal parts of avian and serpents should be reasonable."

"What of us here? Are we to be alone?" Irene asked as if she was not sure if that was the next topic. Danica nodded.

"We need a plan just in case." She kept her political mask on. Her people needed their Tuuli Thea.

"We will leave a good amount of guards and Flight members here. But I think travel from the keep and the palace should be kept to a minimum." Galen said, earning nods from around the room.

"But I think the palace is safer. Harder to penetrate and unless you know your way around it is hard to navigate in there. More rooms to hide." Zane sat down and looked at Nacola. "I know it makes you uncomfortable but I think your safety is more important as of this moment."

She nodded slowly and then kept her cool eyes on him. "We need to leave now then, if that is the case. The sooner the better."


	16. The Story

**I love hearing your thoughts on this story! If you have any, angry, positive, or anything else, let it go in a review! I encourage constructive critism and its ok if you are not happy!**

**-Jane**

* * *

Andreios's plan was going to be the end of Ulyesses.

Ulyesses thought being the captain of the palace guard he would be making these groups. Not being a distributed himself. And certainly not grouped with Sorrell.

His whole plan was to get put in charge of the palace group that would be protecting the royal families to the Serpiente palace and remain there to continue. He wanted to be close to Sadira and his sister. No, Galen suggested that Ulyesses should be out on the front since he was the most skilled and experianced. That put him in the situation he was in now. Treking along in the heat about 5 miles away from his mate and his unborn child; his luck only got better when Andreios put Sorrell with him. Not only that, they had to leave the horses to the scouts since there was a shortage between the two armies. Not everyone was so lucky.

"I think you are wrong. We are way to far out, we need to turn back." Sorrell huffed next to him. It was mid day and it was so hot that most had shed their uniforms for bare chests and under shirts. Some were above, flying in the breeze and scouting.

Ulyesses clenched his jaw and kept quiet. He had promised Sadira before he left. He wouldn't kill the idiot bird that wanted to kill him as much as Ulyesses wanted to kill his sister's mate. Calling Sorrell Araie's mate was enough to make Ulyesses turn and snap his neck.

"Opries? You need to work with me." Aiden tried again, only to be brushed off by the snake. Aiden's brow twitched. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't stay in the palace with Sadira. Aiden would do anything to fly back and hold Araie.

Ulyesses suddenly stopped and held up his hand to stop the soliders behind him. This alerted Aiden and he stopped by Ulyesses side, listening and looking around. Ulyesses passively looked at Sorrell and then let his pack drop unceremoniously, making a few dead leaves spring up.

"This is it, let your men in the air know this is where we make camp." Ulyesses stretched his arms above his head.

"Don't you think that we need to go just a little further? I believe that we are still to close to the palace." Aiden didn't follow Ulyesses and kept his pack on his back.

The swords that crossed on Ulyesses's back slide together when he turned back toward the second in command of the Royal Flight. "No, this is it. Get camp set up. You're wasting time." Aiden could hear Ulyesses mumble something that was not in a language he knew. Every know and then he would hear Araie speak the same language and he wondered if that was what the wolves spoke.

Aiden reserved himself and yelled that it was were camp was to be set up. The forces in the skies circled as if in a dance, only to dive down and land on two feet. Some palace guards were alarmed by seeing that, but then relaxed when remembering they were allies now. Even other Avians were alerted.

Ulyesses stood there, just staring out at the trees, as if seeing something that one he could see. Aiden looked to were the larger man's eyes were set, but he saw nothing. Aiden shrugged it off and helped his men set up and respectable camp.

* * *

Araie had dark circles under her eyes and Irene was trying to convince the small mamba to eat, but she refused. It worried Sadira that her new sister was so scared for her own alistair and her brother. Sadira wanted to help her but did not know what she could do.

Irene had put Araie to bed and came into the room in which Sadira was resting in. They had been in the palace for three days now and had heard nothing from the front. It made everyone on edge. When Irene sat down next to Sadira, the hawk princess could see the fatigue on the other woman's face. She also missed her mate.

Irene ran her fingers through her long, dark hair, looking at the large painting of what Sadira presumed was Kiesha herself. "A long time ago, when our people were still at war, my siblings and I used to huddle together and read each other stories of peace. I used to cry into Sisal's dress just thinking about how one day, it would all be over and we would never have to fight again. I feel nieve for believing that." Irene whispered the last part, as if speaking to herself.

Sadira leaned over and put her warm hand on Irene's cooler one. "No Irene, that is not nieve. That is a wonderful thing to believe."

Irene smiled softly and then looked back at the painting. "I wondered what it would be like if Anjay, Sisal, Gregory, and Carson were still here..." Her eyes glossed over in thought. "Anjay would be the Diente...leaving Zane to be on his free will. Sisal would still be with Ulyesses and probably on their fourth child...Gregory might have been the leader of the palace guard and Carson...would still be growning up. He was so young you know...He wanted to protect us so badly, it cost him his life. When these feelings get really bad...I wish the gods would take me instead and bring them all back."

Sadira looked with wide eyes at Irene. For years, she thought she was the only one who had ever felt that way. When her twin brother had died, it destroyed her and she used to dream about how it would be if he came back. Even with Mara, even though she didn't have a large memory of her, she still felt that way. So much pain and remorse over her siblings and family. She squeezed Irene's hand and closed her eyes. "Thank you for telling me that."

Irene looked at the hawk princess with surprise. "You are welcome."

Sadira had a question dragging on her mind. She needed to know a few things more before she could truly move on. "Irene...what was Sisal like?"

The question didn't surprise the Cobriana woman, but she still felt some shock. "Sadira, to tell you to truth. A lot like you."

"Did she love Ulyesses like he loved her?" Sadira felt like a child, feeling the jealousy and angst again.

Irene smiled and then turned toward Sadira. "Let me tell you the story from some one who was there." She took a deep breath. "I doubt any one told you the whole story. When we first met the Opries, it was when mother invited Mara over to the palace for a play date for the children. Zane and Ulyesses instantly had a brotherly connection and Araie was still so little that she was left with Gregory and I. Gregory adored her, but she always felt as if it was something else. Anyway, Anjay and Sisal come back from training with father, Ulyesses and Zane were called back. When Ulyesses and Sisal first met each other, it was pure hatred."

Irene paused to laugh softly. "He used to lock her in the stalls and she would get so scared. Araie would cry until he would release her. But when they got older and Anjay died..." Irene sighed. "The first person she ran to was Ulyesses and I remember walking into her room and he was holding her so gently, it was like she was the most precious thing to him. After that, they were very good friends and eventually she danced from him and gave him a gold melos. They were mated the next day and everyone for one night forgot there was a war going on. When they danced, it was like the heavens wept from the pure beauty of their love. Months later Sisal was pregnant with their first child and they were very happy."

Irene turned toward Sadira. "Ulyesses was a born warrior. He was in the palace guard before he was 13 and very well trained from his father. It surprised no one that he was to go war with Zane and our brothers. Sisal wouldn't have it and protested it, even begging Zane to let him stay. She couldn't bare it if she had the baby and he was there or worse. Ulyesses tried to console her but to no prevail; she was heart broken."

Sadira looked away. She knew that feeling right now. What if he died and her child never met her father? The thought ate at her mind every moment of the day. "Did she really go to battle?"

"Yes." Irene wiped and tear away and took a deep breath. "A scout came back and said that there was just no way any one could survive that day. The odds were against them. Sisal in fear ran to the stalls and rode as hard she could out to the battle field. She was not going to let her mate die that way." Irene then sunk back into the chair and closed her eyes. "The next thing I know Ulyesses is carrying her bloody body and their dead daughter back to the palace. He didn't talk to any one for weeks. He resigned as the leader of the palace guard and then he simply went back home to his mother. Araie had to make sure he'd eat because would literally starve himself. When we put her to rest at the temple, he sat by her tomb for days, sobbing, clutching her melos."

Sadira stared off into the vastness of the room. How horrible. To lose a mate and a child. Sadira held her belly fondly and said a silent pray to Alisdair.

"Sadira. I want you to know, that no matter what happens, you will be taken care of. Ulyesses will come home."

Sadira opened her golden eyes and pulled up a little bit of reserve. She needed to believe those words. "Ulyesses will come home."

* * *

**You guys...I don't know what is happening to my brain! I don't have these books any more and it seems like I have almost forgotten them! Craziness! Any ways today is my 21st birfday! I wanted to get this out today and it maybe a little short but I did not want to pull a Stephanie Meyer and pull things that don't make sense out of my ass.**

**As always, review!**


	17. Teeth of a Foe

**I love hearing your thoughts on this story! If you have any, angry, positive, or anything else, let it go in a review! I encourage constructive critism and its ok if you are not happy!**

**-Jane**

* * *

_Red hair sprawled out on the silky pillow like red waves. Green shone like a light in the dark and the pale skin had little to no imperfections on it. She was like a dream. To Aiden, she looked like a godess._

_"Have I ever told you about my older sister?" She whispered, making Aiden come out of his day dreaming._

_He inhaled deeply and ran his fingers over the smooth skin of her arm. Little bumps appeared on her skin as she shivered. "No, I don't think you have."_

_Araie remained quiet for a few moments and all they could hear was the music of the crickets outside. She licked her lips and breathed softly. "I am pretty sure she is dead. I would be surprised if she was alive." Her eyes opened and closed softly. "I hate her some times."_

_Aiden frowned and took her hand. Araie was such a soft soul that he always amazed him when she said things like that. "No my love, you don't hate her."_

_It was her turn to frown and her eyes squinted in thought. "I do though. She was a coward and a liar." She sat up and brushed her hair over her shoulder. She was looking at the window and the moon light that shown through made the gleam in her eyes brighter. Aiden sat up with her and held her to him. Her back was tense against his front and he wondered what her sister did that was so horrible._

_"Tell me." He whispered into her ear and the kissed her temple._

_"She ran away." Araie clenched her jaw. "Father was dying in bed from a wound and all she did was run away." She let her hand down into her lap. "She was the oldest after Ulyesses and she was very beautiful. The only one with black hair like mama." She looked at her hands. "I envied her. All the boys loved her and she was such a good dancer. She used to protect me from my other brothers."_

_"Araie, running away...you're right it is not good, but you can't hate her for it." Aiden brushed her hair out of her face. "Love, some people make mistakes."_

_Araie shook her head. "She ran away because mother wouldn't let her see a white viper from those traveling nomads...I can't remember what they are called. Aiden, two of my brothers had already died and mother and I were taking care of my dying father. We needed her and she...ran."_

_Aiden listened to the crickets for a moment. He never knew his family and it made him sad. But when he heard stories of losing family members or watching them die, he felt lucky he was too young to remember that sadness and terror. He had watched friends die, but as he grew older and his reserve grew stronger, he became numb. It sounded cruel, but it was how it was. People died all the time. After a while no one cried any more._

_"Maybe she will come back." Aiden rested his chin on the top of her head. _

_Araie shook her head gently. "I hope she doesn't. I don't want to hate her any more and if she came back...I would never forgive her."_

* * *

Aiden woke to the sound of swords colliding and his dream faded. He quickly got out of bed and threw on his boots and grabbed his own sword. He rushed out of his tent to be surprised it was still dark and the only other person out of their tent was the one and only Ulyesses. He was hacking a poor tree to bits with his double swords. He was shirtless and Aiden found himself looking at the man's extensive scars on his back and wondered if those were all from his people or if they were from his childhood.

"Sorrell, this tree is about done for. Come stand over here and stand in its place." Ulyesses twirled his swords in his hands and turned and looked at Aiden lazily.

Aiden's lip twitched and he took a deep breath to calm himself. "I am fine thank you."

Ulyesses scoffed and the stuck the swords in the ground. "I should tell you, the only reason you are alive in my presence is because I love my sister more than revenge."

Aiden looked away and the raven thought about the day he killed the woman Ulyesses loved. He did it out of blindness for the Shardae name, like Ulyesses killed for the Cobriana name. Aiden nodded. "I thank you for that."

"I think you having to live with the guilt is worse than you dying, so you can wake up every morning and remember stabbing my pregnant mate in the belly and killing her and my child." Ulyesses had a furious glint in his eye and Aiden knew he was out for the kill.

"Ulyesses, I will always regret what I have done and I do not stand here trying to say I was in the right. I killed many of your people as you did mine. I...I know an apology will never help the pain and suffering you go through everyday but I swear, if I could take it back, I would."

Ulyesses raised his brows in amusement. "Did my sister tell you to say that?"

Aiden felt his reserve slip and he found himself snapping. "Look, wither you like it or not we are stuck together and I am in love with your sister and my former charge happens to be your mate. I am not here to be patronized no more than you are here for fun. We need to work together to lead our men and insure them we have a winning chance. I apologized sincerely and if you can not accept it than you are the fool."

Ulyesses's amusement slipped off his face and he glared at the raven with eyes that looked oppisite of Araie's. Some times he could see the siblings similarities but other times he wondered if they came from the same family. "I am not a fool and I am not patronizing you, fucking idiot." He walked over to Aiden till their chests were almost touching. "I have nightmares and I fear that it will all happen again with Sadira. I dream of your face full of horror of what you done and even now I can see the shame. I, though, will never forgive you for what you did."

"Then, Ulyesses, tell me how I can trust you and how will we lead our men together if their leaders cannot unify?" Aiden said calmly.

Ulyesses stepped away and sighed. He was right. Damn bird was right. "I need you to promise me something."

Aiden frowned and turned his head slightly in question. "Depends."

Ulyesses turned and set his fiery gaze on the raven. "Sorrell."

Aiden let it go and nodded reluctantly. "Fine, what do you need?"

Ulyesses began to pace slowly and stroked the hair growing on his chin. He didn't want to forgive, but if the idiot bird meant his apology, he couldn't treat him like an enemy any more. Araie had forgiven him in his betrayal, why couldn't he move on? "I need you to promise me that you will never bring harm to my sister. That you will dedicate your life to her and console her when she is upset. I need you...to take care of her. Her and Sadira. Sorrell, I know I am not going home alive."

Aiden raised his brow and shook his head. "Are you mad? Of course you are going home alive-"

Aiden stopped when he saw the look on Ulyesses's face. determination and passion. Aiden shook his head. "Enable to protect what I love the most Sorrell, I know it may take my life to do it."

"But Araie, the Cobriana, _Sadira..._they would be devastated. I will promise to always take care of Araie and Sadira, but you cannot die." Aiden said firmly. "That is an order solider."

Ulyesses gave a sour laugh and shook his head. "The irony. Never thought I would see the day when I would hear that from a feather brain."

Aiden smirked and unsheathed his sword. "If you are to die, I want to be the one to do it. Now pick up your sword and fight."

* * *

"No!" Araie sat up screaming, sweat running down her forehead and her night-shirt clinging to her body. She had seen them dead, all dead.

Her doors burst open and Irene rushed to her side. "Araie, what happened? Are you alright?" She put her hand on her shoulder as Sadira came to stand by the door way.

Araie trembled, putting her face in her hand while the other clutched the sheets. "I saw them die...Aiden, Ulyesses...Zane...dead..."

Irene looked at Sadira who was looking at the red-haired mamba with sadness. This was not what any one wanted to hear. Irene turned back to Araie. "No, no, we just heard from them. They are fine, they all are fine." It was a lie but Irene knew that nothing else would calm the girl down. "Right Sadira?"

Sadira knew what Irene was doing and felt a knot in her stomach. She didn't like lying but she complied. "Yes, they are, um, all fine."

Araie looked up at Sadira and wiped her tears away. "Good, thats good."

Irene held the girl and stroked her hair. "Little sister, it will be alright, no one knows if the wolves will even attack. It could all be a hoax."

Sadira sat on the bed, feeling her ankles begin to hurt. She was getting bigger and she was sure that this baby would come out kicking and throwing punches. That is what it felt like anyway. Her little love was very active. "Irene, can I talk to her alone for a moment?" Sadira had very little time with her mate's sister and she felt that maybe they could comfort each other.

Irene nodded and let go of Araie and sent Sadira an exhausted look before leaving the room. Sadira rested against the pillows and groaned. "When will this baby ever sleep?"

Araie looked at her and then smiled. "Serpent babies are restless, especially in the mother's belly." She reached out to touch Sadira's belly and then stopped. Some times it was hard to remember that their societies were so different about touching. "May I?"

Sadira smiled and took the girl's hand. "Of course." She placed it on her baby's favorite place to kick. Her navel.

"Oh Maeve! No wonder you are so uncomfortable!" Araie giggled and then sighed softly. "Sadira...do you think...the wolves, it was all a hoax?" Her voice wavered.

Sadira looked away. "Araie, no one can make promises like that, especially when it is in a situation like this. I'm sorry." She sat up and looked at Araie, feeling like she may have caused more harm than help.

Araie pulled her hair over her shoulder and ran her fingers through the tangled red curls. Again Sadira hoped that her child was blessed with that beautiful hair that Araie and her brother had. "I hope my little girl has your hair."

Araie sighed heavily and picked up the tangled mess. "That is an evil no mother should ask for. It took my mother hours to untangle it and then braid it so it wouldn't get caught on everything and it still did." She bit her lip and inhaled. "Some times she was still here to do that."

Sadira smoothed her own hair and nodded. "Me too. She was wonderful, Araie. I was naturally her enemy but she treated me like her own."

Araie laughed and bumped shoulders with the avian princess. "She knew you were the one for Ulyesses, thats why! She used to mumble on how much of an idiot Ulyesses was to not recongize what the gods had given him."

Sadira's jaw dropped and she raised her brows. "That is not true!"

It made Araie laugh harder and she fell into the pillows. "It is though! She even started weaving a special melo for you. It looked like it had feathers in it." She looked at Sadira. "Every one knew it except that bone head brother of mine."

Sadira felt happy that the girl was laughing and that the heavy, saddening thought of losing their loved ones was lifted slightly. Araie stopped laughing and then held her hands to her chest. "Sadira, you don't have to if you don't want, but...well Irene has Salem to take care of so I can't ask her...can you stay with me in here? I don't want to be alone, it makes me think of the worst."

Sadira thought that the request might had been a bit odd but then she knew that Araie was lonely and she probably had never slept alone. She knew before Mara died that she slept in the same bed as her widowed mother. Before that she must of had her siblings. But then she had mated Aiden and she had never had to sleep alone. Asking her brother's mate to stay in the same bed didn't seem so strange when Sadira really thought about it. Sadira would like some company as well.

"Yes, I will stay in here."

* * *

It was dead silent. Almost eerie and the land seemed to be as dead as the silence around it. It made Zane's skin crawl.

"I know they are there, sir." Andreios was by his side, wings folded tightly behind his back. "I know they can see us too."

Zane's lip almost curled in a hiss, but he remained silent and stared off into fog as it settled around them. Zane wanted to curse but then he remembered his training and that using his weakness as his advantage would be better than nothing at all. "Get the men ready." He said to Galen who stood right behind Andreios and Zane. He nodded and ran back into the camp, leaving the monarch and the captain alone.

"Diente." Andreios was instantly alerted and unsheathed his sword. "There." He pointed in front of them.

A boy, no older than 13 stood there, with no weapons and little to no armor, from what Zane could see. He had longish brown hair and equally brown eyes. By his clothing, there was no doubt that he was a wolf.

Zane knew that even children were weapons in war. He had seen and fought them and they were not to be disregarded so easily. In fact it was harder to fight an enemy that looked so innocent with a blind intention of killing and not understanding the weight of war.

The boy only stared back at Zane, saying nothing. It made Zane even more alert.

Suddenly the boy let back his head and let out a higher pitched howl and then shifted into a wolf, backing into the fog. Zane knew what it meant and he barely had time to block the teeth of a foe.

* * *

**There you have it! I wanted to get this out right after the other because I will be super busy the next couple weeks, with baby showers, clients, work, painting my apartment, and going to Texas on the 22-26 and will be back in little ol' Montana. I will try to bust out as many as I can but if I can't you might have to go a few weeks with out an update and I apologize. **

**-Jane**


	18. Failure

**I love hearing your thoughts on this story! If you have any, angry, positive, or anything else, let it go in a review! I encourage constructive critism and its ok if you are not happy!**

**-Jane**

* * *

As steel clashed against steel, the 2nd in command of the Royal Flight and the captain of the palace guard laughed about a joke that wasn't even said. They had been at it for hours and had made it out into the wooded area. It was the first time they had fought and not fought to actually kill each other.

"You are one pompous ass!" Aiden smirked when he inspected his sleeve. The material was tattered and hanging off his arm like rags. "Araie had just made this look all nice."

Ulyesses swirled his swords and returned the smirk. "Remind me to tell my sister she is a terrible sewer." He put his swords into their sheaths and let out a large breath. "We are too far out."

Aiden looked around and nodded, suddenly becoming alert. The camp was quite a walk from where they were now. "Agreed." He felt watched all the sudden. "We better head back quickly."

The pair began their trek back to their camp. Ulyesses still stayed quite a distance away from Aiden, but it didn't offend the raven. Even though they had a new understanding of each other it didn't mean they were companions or even friends. It was like a distant brotherly relationship bond. Hated each other still but put up with each other because they had no choice. This was for life now.

"Ulyesses, even though it might not be any of my business, I want to ask you about your sister. The one that left." Aiden kept his eyes on the trees, looking for an enemy who might try to surprise them with an attack.

"Iva." Ulyesses said her name like it was so bland it bored him. "What about her?" He frowned slightly. What had that bird heard?

"Araie...before we left, she told me how much she hated her sister for leaving, especially during the time when your father was dying. I tried to tell her that it was nonsense that she hated her but she insisted. What happened with Iva?" Aiden ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair. "Were they close?"

Ulyesses scoffed and shrugged. "I couldn't tell you exactly how close they were, I wasn't there most of the time. Iva wasn't our sister really, she was but not by blood. She was a wolf. She was older than I was to tell you the truth. Mama found her alone in the woods, beaten to shreds. Mama having a heart of gold brought her back and told us that she was our sister and not to treat her any differently." Ulyesses cursed as a branch hit his head. Talking made his attention poor.

Aiden bit his tongue and tried not to laugh. The serpent was so tall that he ran into tree branches. It was humorous. "Well, I still don't understand why Araie would say such things about her sister."

Ulyesses sighed. "I do. Iva never fit in with everyone else and she got into a lot of trouble with the palace guard. After a while Charis told Mama that Iva couldn't come to the palace any more because it made the guards angry and over protective. She told mama that because she didn't want Iva to be treated like a threat like that. She stayed at the stall with mama and Araie while our brothers, father and I were at war. Iva started getting...into darker things. She started seeing a rogue serpent from the nomads around here. He had crazy ideas and it was against the Cobriana."

Aiden's face hardened. "What kind of ideas?"

Ulyesses sneered and his muscles tensed up. "Things that made the avians look harmless. When I brought our wounded father home she said it served him right to protect those 'filthy' cobras. Sisal was still alive and that made me more than angry. I told her to stay away from my family and to go back to the woods. She complied. My mother thought is was best for Iva, even though it broke her heart. Araie though, didn't understand that Iva was bad for the family and felt even more hurt than mama did. Araie would hate her either way, I think its just better I didn't tell her I told Iva to leave."

"I think tell the truth to your sister is more beneficiary than lying. It is sad that Iva choose such a hard path, but Araie would understand you protecting your family. You had honorable intentions." Aiden stretched his arms. They were sore from fending off the much larger man and he wasn't used to fighting like that any more. No amount of training really prepared you for it.

Ulyesses eyes squinted and his lip curled slightly. "Stop trying to be reasonable, it is causing me grief when you say things-" Ulyesses stopped dead in his tracks and his nostrils flared. His scales slowly replaced skin and his teeth turned to fangs and filled with venom. Some thing was not right.

Aiden stopped as well and listened. So quiet. And they were close enough to the camp they should hear at least faint voices. But they heard nothing. Aiden let his wings sprout and nodded toward the tree. "Get out of sight, I am going up to see what is wrong."

Ulyesses didn't argue and shifted and slithered up high in a tree. Aiden could barely see him when he was fully settled on a branch. He spread his wings and shot into the sky, instantly seeing a pillar, no, a tower of smoke coming from where their camp should be. Aiden felt his blood turn cold and flew faster over their now burnt camp. Bodies were littering the place, both avian and serpent, only a few of the enemy. Ever thing was ran sacked and the smell of burning and dead flesh burned his nostrils. He saw foot prints and they seemed to go the other direction of him and Ulyesses. This had just happened over night.

He circled back and dove to the spot where he had taken off. As soon as his feet his the ground, Ulyesses dropped out of the tree, the look on his face saying he knew already what Aiden was going to say.

"Its gone. I didn't see any one who was alive and the tracks I found indicated that they were heading north east of us. I don't know if those bodies are good for transport back to their families." It was so gruesome he didn't know if their families would want to receive a loved one in pieces.

"No, they will go home, but now we need to follow them and see if they are heading toward other camps. This is common wolf behavior. Take out the weakest, one at a time. This plan has just back fired on us." Ulyesses looked at Aiden. "They will be able to take us all out this way."

Aiden almost tripped on his own feet. Ulyesses was right. They could take them all out.

* * *

It was outrage and horror.

The Diente, the command of the Royal Flight and his 2nd in command, and the leader of the palace guard, were all missing. Galen had been sent back with severe injuries and was barely hanging on. Irene couldn't leave his side, it was more than she could bare. Erica had yet to hear and she was still tending to her new born son. Danica wanted to tell her herself as well.

Sadira, Danica, and Araie however, were falling apart in Danica's room. She had called them to her room, only to break the horrible news to the girls. Sadira felt like her heart had been torn into pieces and it was nothing like when Ulyesses denied her, it was worse. Araie had stopped talking, falling into a chair, and only stared at the flames in the hearth. It was raining outside heavily and the wind wasn't helping with the chill.

Danica closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "We don't know if they are dead. They could possibly be alive and just trying to make it back home."

"If my brother and mate are dead, than I might as well be. I won't have a reason to live any more." Araie said in a dead monotone. Sadira's eyes widened and she almost reached over and slapped the girl, but she resisted. That would not help them in any way.

"Dani..." Sadira looked at her sister. "Is there any one looking for them?"

Danica almost look offended, like her sister was assuming that there was no action taking place. She calmed herself down and used her reserve. "Of course, that was the first thing I did before I asked for you. There has been no word and Galen has yet to awaken."

Araie stood up and walked over to the large window. The way the rain hit the glass caused loud splats and the thunder shook the palace. "Milady, what are we going to do?" For the first time since she heard of her mate's disappearance, tears ran down Araie's face. "Ulyesses is all I have left of my family and Aiden...you can't imagine..."

Oh but she could, but she didn't say that to the crying girl. Sobs began to rack Araie's body and Danica wanted to console the girl but was unsure of how to do so. Luckily Sadira stood and went to the girl, sending Danica a just as worried look. Sadira wanted nothing more than to go and find her mate herself, but she knew that no one would allow that and drag her back.

Danica put on all of her reserve and walked toward the middle of the room. "Ladies, this is what we need to do. We need to pray and remain hopeful. It will do no one any good if we just sit here and waste away in tears and remorse. Now, I am going to the infirmary to help with our injured soldiers, you are more than welcome to come with me."

Araie had stopped crying. She was right. It would do her brother and Aiden no good if she just sat here like a whimpering baby. Sadira was already following her sister, not even questioning it. Araie needed to remain strong like them.

She followed the royal hawks out of the room and down the large stair way. As they were descending down, a sparrow almost fell over in front of them, panicked and out of breath. The young boy spooked Sadira and Araie caught her arm before she could fall. Danica prepared herself. She knew what this meant.

"Tuuli Thea, Milday Shardae, I am sorry if I gave you a fright." The young boy fidgeted as he made his way back to his feet.

"That is alright, no harm done. You have news?" Danica kept her voice calm. Oh Alisdair, kept Zane safe...

Araie and Sadira kept eager ears open and stared at the boy. He nodded and kept his head down. "There has been two more attack milady. This time, we had a few survivors. Milady...the wolves, its a small pack but they are very smart and they have been spotted coming towards the palace."

Danica paled and looked at her sister, who was just as pale as she was. Their eyes locked. The plan failed.

* * *

**Oh Lordy! Working hard to keep you guys happy! That's how much I love you guys. Any way, yes there will be a death! I want to know what my readers think who it will be and when and how Sadira's baby will be born. I just want to see what you guys think. I am such a stinker that way.**

**-Jane**


	19. Don't Leave Me

**I love hearing your thoughts on this story! If you have any, angry, positive, or anything else, let it go in a review! I encourage constructive critism and its ok if you are not happy!**

**-Jane**

* * *

He could smell smoke...and food. His garnet eyes fluttered open and his vision was momentarily blurred. He could tell his arms were bound to something behind him and that another was next to him.

As soon as his vision cleared he looked at his surroundings. The were surrounded, but not by many. In fact it was only a dozen or so from what he could tell. Only so little? Was this the army that took down over fifty of his best? It couldn't be...

"Diente..." He heard a gasping moan from next to him. He saw Rei clenching his eyes shut and Zane could tell that he had a serious head wound. The hair by his face was glued to his skin with the blood coming from his head.

"Don't move, your seriously wounded." Zane could barely hear himself. His throat burned from the smoke and his stomach rumbled at the smell of meat. "We are being held captive."

Rei moved slightly and found himself in the similar position. Hands bound behind their backs to wooden poles that were posted there for that reason. It also seemed that his Diente was also in serious pain. The wound on his shoulder looked painful and Rei winched as he thought about the discomfort of having it in an awkward position. Zane grunted as he shifted and a few by them noticed the movement. Speaking in a language they didn't know, one darted off and the other two stood sneering, speaking in their fast and strange language.

"Why wouldn't they just kill us? What purpose do they need us for?" Zane watched with curious eyes as the two other wolves seemed to be looking at them like they were mutants.

"If they want something from our people, they could use you." Rei said in a low tone.

"Actually, you have guessed it right."

Both men looked to see a rather tall man with very light hair. If Zane didn't know he was a wolf, he would have thought him to be a white viper. Blue eyes were rare in wolves unless from a certain tribe or family line, but the way the man's eyes seemed to glow made them look like the counter part of Zane's cobra eyes.

The man smirked and tilted his head. Others around him gathered. "Oh the great Zane Cobriana, here you are in person. Here in the flesh; whatever shall I do?" His thick accent added more menace to his voice. Zane bristled. The man held his arms open. "How does it feel to have your 'great army' destroyed by so few, eh? I bet your royal pride must be sore."

Zane kept his emotions in check. He had learned from the avians that letting it all out at an enemy was not always the wisest thing to do. "Who are you and what is the purpose of declaring war on my people?" He said in a cool tone.

Rei shifted, perhaps out of habit, towards his Diente, as if he was going to protect him, but it was useless. The man looked at Zane with such hatred and malice that it made Zane remember what it was like when he used to fight young soldiers who blindly fought for their monarchs. "I am Faler and I am the rightful owner of this land."

* * *

It seemed like they had been traveling for days on end, with the heat searing into their skin and bones. Ulyesses could start to feel the side affects of thirst.

They had found two more camps that had been destroyed and with no survivors. It made both men fear the worst for their Diente and the command of the Royal Flight. How many more were already turned to ashes?

Aiden spoke rarely and it was to keep his mind from going insane. With all that had happened the past two days, his thoughts became jumbled and he began to miss Araie with such an intensity that he thought his heart killed itself a few times. He shouldn't had been so stupid and stubborn and maybe they would have had been happier when he left. He was sure by now that Ulyesses was tired of talking about his sister.

"What names do you have picked out for the baby?" He asked in a raspy voice. They needed water and soon.

Ulyesses wanted to throttle the avian but he knew what he was trying to do, so he obliged with out protest. "If it is a girl, Sadira wants to name her after my mother, Mara. We never came up with a male name." He almost stumbled over a small toe that caught his toe. He didn't want to admit it, but they needed a short rest, at the least. "Lets stop for a while. You and I are barely on our feet."

Aiden sighed with relief and set his bag down and he soon followed it. The grass was cool and the trees provided necessary shade. "There is water around here some where, a pond; we used to use it when we scouted."

"I know which one you are talking about, but I don't know if the wolves have found it." Ulyesses copied the raven and let his muscles relax. It was dangerous to relax like this when danger was so close, but he wouldn't have been able to put up a fight if they had kept going.

He had a point and Aiden didn't argue it. After a few moments of silence and listening to the wind ruffle the tree leaves around them, Aiden wondered why they hadn't thought of a male name yet, with the birth so close and all. "So, why not?"

Ulyesses looked at the avian and shook his head. "Why not what?"

Aiden sat up and rested his arms on his legs. "Why have you not thought of a male name yet?"

Ulyesses looked up at the trees and shrugged. He never thought of names till Sadira said something. When he and Sisal were expecting they wanted to name their son Kale, but that wouldn't suit an part avian child. "Just haven't thought about it."

Aiden blinked slightly as the trees moved with the breeze and allowed some rays to hit them. "Knowing Sadira, I bet she has everything planned out. She'll even tell you what it'll look like and what clothes it will be wearing until the child can say no."

Ulyesses chuckled and nodded. "I wouldn't doubt it." He squinted his eyes and his lips puckered slightly. "Do you plan on having children with my sister?"

Aiden felt his face go red. Of course he did but he didn't know if he wanted to discuss the details with her brother. Araie always wanted to be a mother, she talked about it often and every time they were in the market she had a hard time walking by the stalls with children's clothes. She used the excuse it was for her brother's baby but Aiden knew. "Well...in the future yes, we would like, erm...to have a family." He scratched his head and hid his face from the other man.

"That is gross." Ulyesses shuddered and laid back down.

Aiden wanted to say something to the fact that he asked but left it alone. He was too tired to argue with the large brute. "You should name your son Verdal."

Aiden saw out of the corner of his eye that Ulyesses was not pleased with that name. The man was violently shaking his head and waved off the raven. "You birds and your hideous names. If I want to name my son anything it will be Casius."

"That is also a very horrible name!" Aiden scoffed and stood up. "Maybe you should name him Aiden."

Ulyesses stood up and wacked the back of the raven's leg with the sheath of his sword as he walked by. "Fat chance, idiot."

Aiden composed himself and followed the serpiente man with his head held high. "I think its a noble name."

* * *

Araie was awake before the screams began. It was if her senses could tell that something was wrong and she was right when she looked over to find her bed partner withering in pain, begging for Araie to help her. Araie froze, scared and sickened by the smell of blood in room. She looked down to she was also covered in it.

Araie sprang out of the bed and ran out of the room, yelling for help and saw two guards running towards her. She shook her head and pointed to down the hall. "Get a doctor! Quick! The princess is bleeding!" With that she rushed back in to see Sadira clutching her belly and screaming for Ulyesses and her sister. Araie ran to her side and grabbed her hand, pushing back the golden hair that was stuck her face with sweat.

"Araie, some thing is wrong." Sadira said in a shaking voice. "Please, help me...don't let my baby die..." She almost couldn't finish the sentence before the sobs choked her and she let out another horrific scream.

"Sadira, I won't leave you I promise, the doctor is coming. I swear it'll be ok..." Araie hadn't been so scared in her life. Not even the avian armies put this much fear in her as seeing her brother's mate bleeding and withering around on the bed in pain.

Before Araie could sense her, the former Tuuli Thea was at her daughter's side, pushing Araie out of the way and trying to help her distraught daughter. Danica had also rushed into the room, followed by the doctor who looked absolutely horrified by what she was seeing.

"Mama, I can't let her die, don't let Mara die, please." Sadira was pleading to everyone around her, desperate to save her unborn child. The doctor blocked Araie's view and she had to move to the other side of the bed near Danica.

"Its not the baby, quick, get her to the infirmary, she needs to operated on!" The old crow yelled to the nurses behind her. Sadira seemed relieved by the fact it wasn't her child that was hurt, but it also terrified her that she could die and neither her or the baby would make it. She reached for Araie as she was lifted and the small girl grabbed her hand and ran with the nurses who were almost flying. "Araie, don't leave me."

"I won't leave you! I promise!" Araie called out. "I won't leave you!" She almost tripped but she regained her step and kept running the crowd, holding desperately onto the princess's hand.

"Araie..." Sadira began to lose her eye focus, seeing the blackness around the edges. "Don't...leave..." The nurses rushed into a room and one turned and grabbed Araie, tearing her away from Sadira. She fought against the imposer but the nurse let her go and ran into the room.

"If you want to help the princess you will stay out here!"

Araie trembled, covered in blood and tears, watching as Sadira completely disappeared behind the doors. She remained barely on her feet. "I won't leave you..." She whispered.

* * *

**Ok this wasn't long and I notice my story is in need of lots of editing and I'm sorry, but every time I have access to a computer, I am not supposed to be on here muhaha...so things get left undone some times. I am sorry :(**

**To make it clear though, Sadira is not going to die, I repeat, NOT going to die.**


	20. Mara

**I love hearing your thoughts on this story! If you have any, angry, positive, or anything else, let it go in a review! I encourage constructive critism and its ok if you are not happy!**

**-Jane**

**THIS IS IN CAPITALS SO IT CAN GRAB YOUR ATTENTION! THIS CHAPTER IS RE-DONE! IF YOU HAVE READ IT, PLEASE RE-READ IT SO I KNOW IF IT IS BETTER OR NOT. THIS WAS A DISAPPOINTING A BLAND CHAP, SO AS AN APOLOGY I AM FIXING IT!**

**THANK YOU.**

* * *

"Rightful owner of this land?" Zane repeated slowly, as if he misunderstood. "So you attack the people it was sold to and not the ones who sold it?"

Faler's smirk turned into a sneer. "I also have a debt with the Cobriana. Your great grandfather banished my sick great grandfather from the city, forbade him from receiving medical assistance from your doctors. He died shortly after and ever since it has been a family grudge." Other wolves around him matched the sneer on Faler's face, obviously carrying the same hatred. "Your family killed a great leader!" The others around him yelled out in agreement and Zane held back a comment that was sure to get them killed

Rei silently worked against his ropes around his wrists. If he could manage to release himself, he could free Zane and they would make it out of here before Faler decided to continue with his plan.

Zane kept his rage inside cool. This was the great army that wanted war? It was a battalion with a grudge, an idiotic grudge at that. "So you find it necessary to kill my men, threaten my people and lay siege on us?"

Faler crouched down and stuck his face close to Zane's. "Might as well weed out all the pests while I am at it." He stood back up and nodded to another man. "They need food and water, but don't fill them up. I want them weak." The man nodded and spat at them before turning and leaving the crowd.

"What do you plan on doing to us?" Rei growled, finding his reserve slipping. The rope was too tight, it would take to much yanking and pulling that it would be obvious.

Faler stopped and looked at him. "I am going to make an example out of you."

* * *

Ulyesses coiled into the bushes, trying to remain out of sight. Sorrell was in the trees and not even Ulyesses could tell where. They had made it to water and had no encounters, until they smelt cooking meat. Quietly they made it to a camp and what they found was shocking.

A little over a dozen were wandering around in both fur and skin, some making weapons or sparring. When Ulyesses got a closer look, he noticed that two men were tied to posts driven into the ground. And they were the Diente and the command of the Royal Flight. When Aiden noticed, he and Ulyesses looked at the other and seemed to read each other's mind. They were going to take down the small camp and free the Diente and Andreios.

But there was only one issue with that and that was wolves had a very keen sense of smell. Before approaching the outskirts of the camp both had to roll in mud and make the smell more natural. Wolves avoided natural snakes and birds unless they were hungry and by the looks of it, they were in no need of food.

Ulyesses slithered out of the bush and back into the tree line making it quite a while before shifting back and finding his swords again. Its hard to sneak around with clanging weapons, so Sorrell found a tree with a hole in it and bushes that were too thick to see through. Aiden soon emerged and both men hurried back farther away from the camp, waiting for night time. Of course the wolves would be scouting it at night but it was easier to take out a few at once then all of them.

That was their plan. The wolves found that they all separated and picked off the weakest first before going for the kill. It made Ulyesses angry that they even thought of this plan. It could be the end of them.

"Their security is pretty poor. They are just moving around, not paying attention to their surroundings." Aiden shook his wings and stretched them. "It should be easy."

"Don't be fooled. Wolves have excellent hearing and smell. This is not a nation we are facing, just some rogues with some ideas on how things should be. The fact of the matter is though, that they took out all those camps so easily while there is so few of them. They must have mastered the element of surprise."

Aiden's face darkened as he remembered finding the bodies of his men. More families to return bodies too, more friends to morn. "You're right."

Ulyesses looked at the stash of hidden weapons they had been carrying. Araie would be very handy right now with her talents with the bow, but since she was obviously not there, he would have to find another way. "Are you good with a bow or throwing knives?"

Aiden shrugged and nodded to the bush where the rest of the weapons were hidden. "Bow more so than knives. Why?"

Ulyesses looked back to where the camp was and then studied the tree line. Aiden looked at where Ulyesses's kept his eyes and then suddenly knew what he was thinking. "How many do you think we can kill?"

"Before they notice? Maybe three or five, but with their numbers, that is a good count. What I want to do is take out two guards silently, then make a distraction while some one goes in there and releases the Diente and Andreios, then we can make it back to the palace and warn the other flight and guard members." Ulyesses looked at the little knives that were used for throwing. They were traditional serpiente throwing knives and had intricate designs of serpents weaved around the edges. When he did metal work after retiring from the guard he made the carvings deep. The reasons why they needed to be deep was to hold poison when it was spinning in the air. Sometimes the poison slipped off the knife when it spun to fast and having a smooth surface didn't help. And by the multi-colored sheen, this knife had lots of poison on it. They only had to knick them to kill.

"That is a good idea. I agree but we need to decide who will do it." Aiden eyed Ulyesses. He shifted into a snake, which was easier to hide.

Ulyesses smirked and raised his eye brows. "Well the one who frees the Diente must be fast, be able to quietly get in and out." Like he would go into the camp. He was to big and he didn't want to take that big of a risk.

Aiden nodded agreeing with Ulyesses. "Very fast."

Ulyesses kept his eyes on Aiden, his smirk widening slightly. "And one who can fly out."

"Yes- wait, Ulyesses you can't fly." Aiden frowned and then wanted to hit himself on the head. He was talking about him! He felt like an idiot but then he turned a glare on the large man. "I am not going into the camp. That is suicide."

"I have a baby on the way." Ulyesses tossed out at Aiden, making the raven twitch. Of course he would say that and now Aiden felt obligated to go. But then again he wasn't as talented with the bow. He had always been more talented on the ground, despite his race who usually preferred taking flight and attacking from the air with bows. "Sadira would have your tail feathers if she found you were a coward and made me do this scary, ludicrous mission."

Oh, Aiden wanted to hit him, but he knew that Ulyesses was kidding, even though it wasn't all that funny. "Fine, but you need to make those hits as fast as you can and make sure that they are gone before sending me in. We need a signal."

"Yes, I will just yell that you go." Ulyesses rolled his eyes. "Just stay with me and fly into the camp as soon as they are heading this way. Don't shift till you hit ground." He looked back were the small line of smoke rose from the trees. "I have a feeling, this might be more serious than we thought."

* * *

Sadira had been out for a while and to Araie it seemed like days. Night had passed and now day was in its peak. The heat from outside was now wafting inside and sweat ran down in between her breasts. Her red hair was still curling in crazy patterns as she had yet to brush it. She wouldn't leave those doors. Nacola and Danica took turns retrieving food and clean clothes and their absence was brief.

Araie could feel her body's needs starting in on her. She struggled to keep her eyes open and her stomach clenched and ached with its emptiness. Soon, she told herself, soon the doctor would come out to say that Sadira and the baby was alright. She made her perch on a long seat by a window and to keep her awake she kept looking down at the market, watching the people go about their day as if there was not another war to worry about. But that was how it was. You pretended everything was fine and then others would follow and life would proceed. In her home, her mother used to rise at dawn to pray and then clean Ulyesses's bed as if he was coming home that night.

"Araie, you need to eat." She felt some one sit next to her and to her relief it was Irene. In her hands was a slice of warm bread with honey and a cup of mint tea, which was Araie's preferred breakfast. Araie felt the pang of hunger and she sighed, giving in. "And you need to brush your hair." Irene patted a curl that was sticking out of her head, trying to tame it.

"It's no use, so don't try." Araie took the bread and tea graciously and sighed when she sipped the sweat mint tea. She could see at the bottom that there was those sugar crystals that her mother used to use. It reminded her of when Sadira came to her home and she had enjoyed the hibiscus sugar. She pushed a stray curl out of her face. "I can't leave, not yet."

"Araie it could be another day before any one comes out of that door." Danica had returned in time to hear Irene urging the young girl and joined her. "I know you don't want to but you need to sleep and to be honest, a bath." She sighed and looked at the door. "I know how you feel. That is my little sister in there."

Araie smelt her hair and wrinkled her nose. It was true. But she promised Sadira she wouldn't leave her. "Not yet..." She sighed. "I promised her I wouldn't leave her."

Danica closed her eyes. She was just as worried as the red haired girl was. Even her mother, who had to go lay down, was abnormally tense. What if Sadira didn't pull through? The Shardae line would suffer, Danica and her mother would suffer. Ulyesses would go mad and possibly kill himself from losing another mate.

Suddenly the doors opened and an elderly avian nurse slipped out from the crack between the doors, her small body not moving very fast. Another followed and she was a serpiente, with jeweled eyes that were like blue diamonds and hair as white as milk. Both worked on the princess all night and their faces held no inclination on what was about to be said.

Danica stood and both women bowed their heads as if they were twins and in sync. Araie remained by Irene in her chair, anxiously awaiting the news she was so desperate to hear. Was her brother's child alright? Was Sadira alright? She could feel her heart trying to jump out of her chest and the fear washing over her.

"My Tuuli Thea," The avian nurse, a sparrow, spoke first. Her voice was shaky and soft and Danica had to lean closer to hear her. "The princess is alright."

Danica almost fell over with relief and fought to keep her composure. "Thank the skies."

"Her child tore at her and made her bleed inside. The child shifted and ripped the princess's womb. This is uncommon, but not unheard of in serpent women. If she was a serpiente her body would have handled it." The serpent nurse explained. Her voice was more solid and her hands seemed strong and rough as she clasped them together.

"What of the child?" Danica kept her reserve in tack. She was so grateful that her sister was to live and doing alright, but the other life was now a concern.

The avian nurse bowed her head and Araie felt her heart drop. She kept her breathing even. She hadn't said anything yet...no need to be upset, she told herself. Irene held her hand tightly and watched as Danica's eyes portrayed what everyone was thinking. The baby was in trouble, or worse...

"A healty baby girl has been born. Mara Shardae Opries. She must remain with us until she is well enough to stay with her mother. She came to early. She is a miracle child though. Considering the circumstances, she should not have survived." The serpent nurse said. "She is very small and if she makes it through tonight, then the Shardae family will have another princess."

"Now excuse us milady, we must tend to the child now." The avian nurse said, nodding to the other. They both bowed again and returned behind the doors, closing it gently.

Araie could have lept for joy. Sadira alive and Mara had survived a stressful birth. She now had to pray that her little niece would pull through once again and make it another night. Her brother will weep when he finds out.

Her brother's first child was now in the world.

* * *

Sadira looked over at her small daughter. She was bundled comfortably in soft blankets and settled in a tiny little bed, her pink face relaxed and smooth. Sadira felt tears fall from her eyes and she wiped them away and smiled. She almost didn't make it and now that Sadira was fixed and the baby being a miracle child, Sadira could only feel excitement and longing to hold her infant daughter.

She was everything she had hoped for and more. Her little head was covered in thick red hair and her nose had a few freckles on it. To Sadira's dismay, she had her eyes and not Ulyesses's piercing blue, but she got over that quickly when she found that Mara defiantly had her father's scowl.

Sadira's body was sore and her mind was flooding with thoughts. She could not wait for Ulyesses to meet his daughter and to be reunited with her mate. She could see Ulyesses holding Mara in his arms and melting to the sight of her sweet face and Mara's little fingers gripping his large ones. Oh, how her heart ached for him and how anxious she was to know if he was still alive or not. With all the terrible news they had been receiving, it was possible that Mara would never meet her father.

_No I mustn't think that way, he will come back to us. He is to stubborn to die._

"My sweet baby, I want to hold you very badly, but I can't. When you get better I will spend all my time with you." Sadira whispered softly and Mara's head rolled slightly toward her, her little nose scrunching. "Your father will be more than happy to meet you." Sadira teared up. "He'll come back to us, I promise."

* * *

**Sorry this is so short guys. I am getting ready to be an aunt myself and life is so busy. But here you go and I told you guys that Sadira was not going to die!**


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